She said she had rushed her passing to partner April Ross during a semifinal loss to Brazil’s Agatha and Barbara the night before.
Larissa serves first and the Brazilians win the first point.and the second with an ace.
Walsh Jennings did not lose for the first time in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games because she is 38, or because April Ross replaced her three-time gold medal partner, Misty May-Treanor, upon May-Treanor’s retirement following the 2012 games.
European champions Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst eased home 21-18, 21-12 against the Brazilians to become Germany’s first women’s team to medal in the beach volley event.
Walsh-Jennings’ Olympic record now falls to 26-1, and the two set losses now bring Kerri’s total to four in those 27 matches.
“Devastating was a huge word and it pretty much captures how I felt last night”. The duo had a fairly easy road to the semifinals – where it ran smack into Walsh Jennings and Ross, who rank third in the world.
“I wanted to go with Kerri or with no one”, Ross told San Jose Mercury News.
“You’ve got to pass the ball to win”, she said.
“I am a blessed woman”, Walsh Jennings said. She dove toward a side barrier to chase down an errant ball. She recently got her Master’s degree from Concordia University in Irvine, CA and was named the director of volleyball operations at Long Beach City College back in June, according to Bustle.
“I don’t agree with that”, Ross said.
The Americans rattled off the next three points, gaining confidence with each. The Brazilian women entered the Olympic tournament as the top-seeded team while Walsh Jennings/Ross entered as the third seed.
“It hit the heart”, said Walsh Jennings. She has yet to say that Rio will be her last Olympics, but she has considered what life after volleyball will look like.
By the final point, you could see the dejection in the faces of Walsh and Ross, knowing their gold-medal hopes were about to be dashed.
Walsh Jennings also focused heavily on strengthening her upper and middle back with a thoracic spine trainer.
Volleyball is Brazil’s second most popular sport, behind soccer.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross’ bid for Olympic gold falls short. A year ago she and Talita Antunes won the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. Counterpart Talita was suddenly the one looking out of sorts at the net unsure what to do after several massive blocks by Walsh Jennings. “I want to win my match tomorrow and I want to go home with a bronze medal”. She returned from a 2015 shoulder operation – torn labrum- in January and had to work her way back into form along with Ross, as they worked their way through the Olympic qualifying process.