Beach Volleyball: Ross adds AVP title

NEW YORK — Costa Mesa resident April Ross and partner Kerri Walsh Jennings continued to tune up for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by winning the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ New York City Open on Sunday.

Top-seeded Ross and Walsh Jennings defeated No. 2-seeded Lane Carico and Summer Ross, 21-16, 21-18, in the 55-minute final. It was the 10th straight win in an AVP event when playing together for Ross and Walsh Jennings, who defeated Costa Mesa resident Sara Hughes and partner Kelly Claes, 21-18, 21-19, in a 40-minute semifinal Sunday.

April Ross, a Newport Harbor High product who has won the last five AVP events in which she has competed, hit .526 for the tournament with 80 kills, to rank second among women’s players. Her 61 digs ranked third among all players and she added 10 ace serves in the tournament.

Ross and Walsh Jennings split $15,000.

Hughes and Claes, the No. 14 seed, matched their top AVP finish, also having finished third in New York in 2015. The duo, both juniors at the time, helped USC claim the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball title in May.

Hughes led the women’s field with 79 digs in the tournament.

Costa Mesa resident Jennifer Fopma and partner Brittany Hochevar also finished third and split $7,000. They dropped a 21-17, 21-14 semifinal match to Carico and Summer Ross.

UCI product Whitney Pavlik and partner Sheila Shaw finished seventh and split $3,800.

The AVP San Francisco Open runs Thursday through Sunday.

— From staff reports

— From staff reports