What April Ross and Jennifer Kessy Must Do to Win Beach Volleyball Gold Medal

Throughout the beach volleyball tournament April Ross and Jennifer Kessy have simply been known as the United States' other team. Two-time defending Olympic champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings have garnered the American spotlight.

The lack of attention has actually helped the unheralded pair by keeping the pressure level low, but that comes to an end on Wednesday. They have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the world if they can upset the most well-known team in the world.

Let's take a look at what Ross and Kessy must do in order to end May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings' streak en route to a gold medal.

Serve May-Treanor

Even though conventional wisdom might say it's time to try something new after watching May-Treanor get served for the past eight years, it's a strategy that needs to remain the same. Walsh Jennings is deadly at net and serving her would be a huge mistake.

May-Treanor has been the target of opposing teams ever since the dominant duo was formed, which means Ross and Kessy should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Stopping her still won't be easy, but it's better than trying to stop Walsh Jennings.

Both Ross and Kessy have shown terrific defensive skills during their run to the finals. They should rely on those once again instead of considering a chance of tactics.

Finesse Over Power

The biggest mistake the Chinese team of Chen Xue and Xi Zhang made was allowing Walsh Jennings to control the match. No matter how many huge stuff blocks she made they just kept attacking her without changing their approach.

Walsh Jennings thrives on momentum. It seems like once she makes two or three big plays in a row, she basically becomes unstoppable in every facet of the game. So Ross and Kessy must try to mix things up better when on offense.

Most likely that means using more finesse shots at the net to limit Walsh Jennings' blocking opportunities. Being unpredictable will allow Ross and Kessy to earn more easy points.

Ignore Situation

Whenever a team walks in to the biggest match of their respective careers, there's always a good chance they let the situation get the better of them. Ross and Kessy know they can't fall into that trap, especially since their opponents are so used to the pressure by now.

As cliché as it sounds, the best thing they can do is treat it like any other match. They have reached this point for a reason, and they can't be intimidated by the spotlight or their decorated foes if they want a legitimate chance to walk away with gold.

Ross and Kessy have a golden opportunity to prove they are a lot more than just the second American team. They are one win away from making a name for themselves and need to seize it.