London 2012 Beach Volleyball: Jen Kessy and April Ross Will Set Up All-US Final

Now that American beach volleyball legends Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh have defeated Chen Xue and Xi Zhang in the semifinal match at the 2012 London Olympics, Jen Kessy and April Ross will see the same result against Brazil's Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva to set up an All-American gold medal match.

May-Treanor and Walsh squeaked by their Chinese opponents 22-20, 22-20 at Horse Guards Parade in London to take the next step in winning an unprecedented third straight gold medal in beach volleyball.

Kessy and Ross, if they can get by the No. 1-ranked team in the world, will become the most threatening challengers to the throne that is held by their American counterparts.

The latter American duo has a height advantage over their Brazilian opponents. Kessy is 5'9" tall and Ross is nearly 6'1". Franca and Silva are 5'7" and 5'8", respectively.

Kessy is a master setter who consistently places the ball with exceptional precision for her teammate right above the net. Ross seldom fails to convert on a perfect set-up, something that we have seen with great consistency throughout this beach volleyball.

The American tandem would be wise to employ that strategy, as the height discrepancy between the two teams is too much to fail to capitalize on.

An American win is the farthest thing from a foregone conclusion, as Franca and Silva have been at the top of their game for the entirety of this tournament. The Brazilian team has not dropped a set so far, making victory an even more daunting task for the Americans.

However, Kessy and Ross are set on competing for the gold and surpassing their fellow countrywomen as the queens of beach volleyball.

They don't just have the attitude, they have the skills and versatility to do so. According to The Orange County Register's Mark Whicker, Kessy had this to say regarding the chemistry between her and Ross:

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'"On the beach you have to do everything, pass, set, play defense, be fast to run balls down, jump in the sand, and if you look at the elite teams on the beach, they're usually blocker/defense combos. We can both do everything. Some days I'm a terrible defender, so let me run up to the net. I don't think everybody can do that."'

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Franca and Silva don't have that same type of versatility. While they are one of the top teams in the sport, they just can't compete with the height that Kessy and Ross have been afforded.

Ross succeeded Franca as the women's FIVB "Best Hitter" in 2011, and also won "Best Server" in the same year. Kessy was awarded the AVP "Best of the Beach" in 2008 and 2009.

Both teams' reputations have been shaped by their honors and accolades, but past awards mean nothing on this stage.

Make sure you don't miss Kessy and Ross take on Franca and Silva as they try to lock up an All-American gold medal match on Tuesday, August 7 at 4 p.m. ET.