Jennifer Kessy

Jennifer Kessy
Personal information
Full name Jennifer Anne Kessy
Nationality  United States
Born (1977-07-31) July 31, 1977
San Clemente, California, U.S.
Hometown San Juan Capistrano, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Beach volleyball information
Current teammate
Years Teammate
2015-present Emily Day
Previous teammates
Years Teammate
2007–2013
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000		 April Ross
Nancy Mason, Rachel Wacholder
Holly McPeak,Mason,Wacholder
Barbra Fontana
Jenny Pavley,Barbra Fontana
Heather Lowe,Cary Wendell
Lowe,Angie Maredith,Angie Simpson
Angie Simpson
Medal record
Women's beach volleyball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2012 London Beach
World Championships
2009 Stavanger Beach

Jennifer "Jen" Anne Kessy (born July 31, 1977) is an American professional beach volleyball player on the Nivea AVP Tour.[1]

Early years

Growing up in Southern California, Jen excelled at multiple sports. In high school, she was the MVP of the swim team her junior year and the Captain and MVP of the volleyball team her senior year, earning honors as an All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) second team. In 1994, she graduated from Dana Hills High School at Dana Point, California[2]

College

Kessy continued her athletic excellence while attending the University of Southern California (USC). She was a member of the volleyball team for all four years (1995–1998) and was named All-American her senior year.[3] Also, she was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team.[2][4] Jen graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree in history.[2][4][5] Kessy was also a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

Professional career

Signing a six-month contract for about $25,000, Jen played indoors professionally under coaches Gido Vermeulen (head, The Netherlands) and Christine Masel (assistant, DePaul University & University of Illinois) for the Chicago Thunder who finished runner-up (10-8) in the USPV in 2002.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] In November 2002 with the collapse of the USPV, she signed with Pinkin de Corozal at Humacao, Puerto Rico for the 2003 season and finished 6th overall for points in the LVSF.[15][16][17][18]

Kessy competed with Olympian Barbra Fontana in 2004 and Olympic Bronze Medalist and three-time Olympian Holly McPeak in 2005.

Teaming up with fellow USC Trojan April Ross in 2007, the tandem has become one of the most successful duos in the world. On July 4, 2009, Kessy and Ross won the FIVB World Championships in Stavanger, Norway defeating Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca.[4][5]

As of April 2012, Kessy has ten AVP and nine FIVB 1st-place finishes overall, as well as over $1,223,635 in total prize money.[4]

In the spring of 2012, Jen signed as a CoverGirl for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[19]

In the 2012 London Olympics Kessy and Ross won the silver medal, when they lost to their country's Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the final by 16-21, 16-21.

Kessy did not play in the 2014 season due to the birth of her first child.[20] She returned to the AVP tour in 2015 and partnered with Emily Day to start the 2015 season.[21]

Awards and honors

An asterisk denotes that Kessy was the only player to be named AVP "Best of the Beach" for two consecutive years.[19]

Clubs

References

  1. ↑ AVP Players: Jennifer Kessy
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Jennifer Kessy". University of Southern California (USC) Trojans Women's Volleyball. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "All Americans". USC Trojans. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jennifer (Kessy) Boss". Beach Volleyball Database. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Jennifer Kessy". USA Volleyball. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ PR Newswire (November 13, 2001). "USPV Introduces Chicago Women's Professional Volleyball Team". PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  7. ↑ Almer, Ellen (November 14, 2001). "Volleyball league spikes interest". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  8. ↑ Merkin, Scott (November 14, 2001). "Chicago thunders into new pro league". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  9. ↑ Press Release (November 28, 2001). "Saint Xavier’s Shannon Center to be Home of Chicago’s Professional Women’s Volleyball Team". Saint Xavier University (SXU). Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  10. ↑ Rittenberg, Adam (February 11, 2002). "Big turnout as volleyball thunders into Chicago". Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois).
  11. ↑ Rose, Devin (March 27, 2002). "Rumble of Thunder". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  12. ↑ OSC (May 5, 2002). "Chicago Thunder Schedule". Our Sports Center. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  13. ↑ Miazga, Mike (August 13, 2002). "Thunder's Kessy Finishes 9th at AVP Stop". Director Media Relations, USPV/Chicago Thunder. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  14. ↑ Merkin, Scott (February 1, 2003). "USPV shuts down, eyes a 2004 return". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  15. ↑ Figueroa Cancel, Alex (November 15, 2002). "Corozal negocia con Jennifer Kessy". Primera Hora. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  16. ↑ Rosa Candino, Jessica (December 30, 2002). "Estaban cojas, pero ganaron". Primera Hora. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Lideres del Torneo Superior Femenino 2003". Club de Voleibol Pinkin de Corozal. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Resultados Pinkin 2003". Club de Voleibol Pinkin de Corozal. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Alexander, Antoinette (April 25, 2012). "CoverGirl signs U.S. Olympic hopefuls Jennifer Kessy, Marlen Esparza". The Drugstore News. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Olympic Silver Medalist Jennifer Kessy Announces Return to AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Partnership with Rising Star Emily Day". AVP. November 18, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  21. ↑ "New Orleans Open Results". AVP. April 24, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2015.

External links

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