Newport Harbor’s Ross Rises to Every Challenge

Few knew it, but Newport Harbor outside hitter April Ross was playing hurt during the Sailors’ run to Southern Section and state girls’ volleyball titles.

You couldn’t tell by watching that Ross--always among the most athletic and active players on the court--had a sore right shoulder. In practice, however, she didn’t spike during the final three weeks of the season and in matches, she further rested her shoulder by not using her wicked jump serve.

Even so, Ross, The Times Orange County player of the year, was the most dominant player around. On a team with weapons to spare, Ross was lethal.

When the Sailors needed a point or a side out, they looked to Ross. Setter Jennifer Carey said she did her best to mix it up, distributing sets to other players as well.

“Sometimes, it’s hard not to set April because I have so much confidence in her,” Carey said. “I could just look at her and think, ‘You’re putting this ball away, we need this and she would rise to the challenge.”

The challenge was never greater this season than in the fourth game of the Division I state final against Stockton Lincoln. Lincoln, which in the second game became the first Sailor postseason opponent to win a game--18-16--was threatening to force a fifth game.

Ross made sure that didn’t happen. She had seven of her eight kills in the game after Newport had scored 11 points and scored the final two points of the 19-17 victory, one on a kill and one on a block.

It was the type of performance Newport Harbor has come to expect from Ross, a 6-foot-1 junior and three-sport standout.

Ross is the starting center for the basketball team and high jumps for the track and field team. As a freshman, she cleared 5-6 in the high jump to win the Southern Section Division II title.

But volleyball is her favorite sport and one that will make her one of the most recruited players in the nation next year.

Her club coach, Charlie Brande of Orange County Volleyball Club, says Ross has the potential to be the best player to come out of the county.

That’s saying a lot, considering several NCAA All-Americans, including current player of the year Misty May, played for local high schools. But Sailor Coach Dan Glenn didn’t scoff at Brande’s statement.

“She has tremendous potential,” Glenn said. “As far as that goes, I wouldn’t say no to that or disagree. The thing about her is she’s going to get better. She’s going to be a lot better next year, and that’s the thing I’m most excited about.”

Glenn says Ross is “probably the most competitive kid I’ve ever coached” and that includes May. Ross is so cutthroat she isn’t allowed to keep score or make line calls in practice.

“They say I cheat too much,” Ross said.

Ross says she just wants to win--whatever the setting.

“My whole team has that outlook,” she said. “We refuse to lose and that’s why we didn’t lose a game in the playoffs until the state final. We didn’t want to give up even one game.

“And if we do lose, we just come back harder in the next game.”