Jen Kessy and April Ross Must Learn from Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh

The legendary American volleyball duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh has won the last two gold medals and is gunning for a third at the 2012 London Olympics.

But there are also some other Americans who have a shot at making waves in the Olympics this year: Jennifer Kessy and April Ross.

Kessy and Ross not only upset May-Treanor and Walsh in the AVP tournament in September 2008, they defeated the dynamic Brazilian duo of Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca in the 2009 World Championships. And as the talented Americans head into their first Olympic Games, they would be wise to take a history lesson from May-Treanor and Walsh.

May-Treanor and Walsh have won two gold medals at the Olympics in large part due to their chemistry, which has propelled them forward time and time again.

Kessy and Ross have a bit of momentum themselves after some standout victories the past few years and by now they've grown with each other, feeding off each other's desire and dedication to the sport. They've been a team since 2007, barely missing the cut for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and they each hold their fair share of individual accomplishments as well.

Kessy and Ross head into London with the fourth seed in the women's volleyball event, per Yahoo! Sports. While they have the talent to make a big impact this summer, they are still considered underdogs.

This, of course, is nothing new for the duo. They were underdogs in their first season together and responded by becoming the lowest seeded team to win an FIVB event in history. They were seeded 29th before winning the event.

Kessy and Ross have racked up a lot of miles together en route to their first appearance in the Olympics. Here's to hoping their chemistry will push them forward like it has for May-Treanor and Walsh.

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