Alexandra Klineman, also known as Alix Klineman, is somewhat of a newcomer to the beach volleyball world. Once a standout outside hitter during her tenure at Stanford University, Klineman eventually made her transition to beach volleyball in 2017.
California native Alix Klineman has done what very few indoor volleyball players have been able to do: Make a solid shift to beach volleyball. Now three years into her beach volleyball career, Klineman has partnered with global superstar April Ross. The duo planned to represent Team USA at the 2020 Olympics until they were postponed.
Alix Klineman’s whirlwind volleyball career is quite impressive. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Team USA’s newest star and her team success with partner April Ross.
Alix Klineman’s Indoor Career
Alix Klineman, measuring in at a height of 6’5”, was a star outside hitter for the Mira Costa High School volleyball team from Manhattan Beach, California. By her senior year of high school, Klineman earned the title of 2006-07 Gatorade National Volleyball Player.
Her success on the court continued as she graduated and moved on to Stanford University.
While a student at Stanford, she was named an All-American on four separate occasions, a title that very few volleyball players can brag about. She then concluded her undergrad career with an impressive 2,000+ kills and the title of “Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year.”
Post-graduation, Klineman practiced with the women’s indoor U.S. National Team on several occasions, but never saw time on the court. Yet, her practicing with the National Team wouldn’t go unnoticed.
Alix Klineman’s Move to Beach Volleyball
After Klineman was unable to make the 2016 U.S. National Team, she decided to make a risky decision: The transition to beach volleyball. Now aged 26, she was competing against players that started out on the beach years and even decades ago.
Transitioning from indoor and beach volleyball is more complicated than what people assume. That’s because playing on the beach shrinks a six-person team to two, meaning there’s more responsibility on each player. It’s also a grueling transition in regards to fitness levels.
Klineman understood that setting herself apart would be difficult.
In her first year as a beach volleyball player, Klineman was named the 2017 AVP Rookie of the Year. This award would set the stage for her coming future as a wildly successful beach volleyball player.
Shortly after earning this title, she had a chance to meet with April Ross, one of the most famous American beach volleyball players of all time.
If you love beach volleyball, it’s a whole category on our site, check out our most recent beach volleyball posts here.
Alix Klineman & April Ross
April Ross, a fellow California native measuring in at 6’1”, is a beach volleyball player that has represented Team USA at the Summer Olympics on two occasions (2012 and 2016).
Ross and teammate Jennifer Kessy earned a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Ross returned to the Olympic stage in 2016 in Rio with Kerri Walsh-Jennings, earning together the bronze medal.
Prior to pairing up with Alix Klineman, April Ross saw playing time in six different world championships and had been named USAV Female Beach Player of the Year seven times.
After Ross and Walsh-Jennings went their separate ways after the Rio Olympics, Ross was on the hunt for a new partner for the upcoming 2020 Games. Ross and Klineman decided to team up with the help of coach Jennifer Kessy, Ross’s former teammate.
Though Ross initially believed that Klineman was a little inexperienced in her craft, she had high hopes for this new player. After all, partnering with such an inexperienced player could’ve been the beginning of the end of Ross’s highly-successful beach volleyball career.
Up to the task, Klineman easily demonstrated that she was cut out for such a huge job. Since 2017, the duo has played in several tournaments together and has crushed nearly every single opponent in their path.
Alix Klineman & April Ross: The Beginnings
2018 saw the official beginning of Klineman and Ross as a beach volleyball team.
Most of their success as a team was seen during the 2018 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Between May and September of 2018, the pair won four separate events along the tour.
This would show the world just how much chemistry this new team has formed.
Their success in this tournament included victories in Austin, Manhattan Beach, Chicago, and Hawaii. The team also clinched a second-place finish in Hermosa Beach and third-place finishes in both San Francisco and New York City.
The duo then participated in the highly-prestigious 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The team secured a victory over Brazil’s Maraia Antonelli and Carolina Solberg Salgado to win the Dela Beach Open during this tournament. They would go on to win another gold medal in an event hosted in Yangzhou, China.
At the prestigious 2018 AVP Awards, Klineman and Ross didn’t quite leave empty-handed. In fact, Klineman earned the title of Best Blocker, Most Improved Player, and Women’s Team of the Year (with Ross).
But, this new team was only just getting started.
Alix Klineman, April Ross & the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships
The 2019 beach volleyball season saw a progression of success from the newly-created team of Ross and Klineman.
These two players meshed so well together that they decided to sign up for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg, Germany during the 2019 season.
Klineman and Ross successfully cleared their path to the World Champion finals by defeating four tough competitors along the way. They even clinched a victory over fellow Americans Sara Hughes and Summer Ross.
Though Ross and Klineman would, unfortunately, fall to Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes 2-0 in the finals, the pair set high expectations for their success as a team in the future.
There would be more to come.
In the 2019 season, the team boasted an incredible 639 scores, 83 aces, 507 attacks, and an astounding 49 blocks. On her own, Klineman posted all 49 blocks and 340 of the 639 scores of the pair’s stats.
The Future of Alix Klineman
With a successful 2019 beach volleyball season behind them, Klineman and Ross set their sights toward the future as a team.
By early 2020, the team of Klineman and Ross was vying for a chance to represent the United States at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting postponement of the Games, Klineman and Ross were in the lead with qualifying points.
So, you should expect to see this successful team gracing your television screen come summer 2021 when the Summer Olympics return.
Alix Klineman’s Victories
Simply describing Alix Klineman’s volleyball career thus far just wouldn’t do this talented player justice. Here’s a look at her most notable victories:
- GOLD – 2019 FIVB World Tour – With April Ross
- GOLD – 2018 FIVB World Tour event – With April Ross
- 4 GOLDS – 2018 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour – With April Ross
- 2 BRONZES – 2018 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour – With April Ross
- SILVER – 2018 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour – With April Ross
Conclusion
Alix Klineman isn’t the most experienced women’s beach volleyball player in America, but she’s surely working her way toward the top. Once an indoor player that failed to make the U.S. National Team for the 2016 Olympics, Klineman now has a shot at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo with her teammate April Ross.
In her resume is an impressive stream of titles and awards, including Best Blocker, Most Improved Player, Women’s Team of the Year, Gatorade National Volleyball Player, and Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year.
The future of Alix Klineman truly looks bright.
References:
- Team USA: Alix Klineman
- Hamburg 2019: Alix Klineman/April Ross
- Wikipedia: Alix Klineman
- Wikipedia: 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships
- LA Times: Alix Klineman’s hard work has resulted in a near-flawless Olympic qualifying campaign
- NBC Sports: April Ross finds new partner for Tokyo 2020 Olympic run
- Team USA: Meet Breakout Beach Volleyball Player Alix Klineman: From Starting By Chance To Winning Golds
Photo Credits:
Feature image by cuattvolley on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped. Found at https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22890555
Klineman at Stanford image by Ron Hall on flickr.com: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped to zoom in.
Alix Klineman and April Ross in Hamburg 2019 image by Steffen Prößdorf / CC BY-SA https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
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