Some may consider her a household name in this sport, but the truth is this 29-year-old is entering just her third season as a Main Draw AVP Pro beach athlete. Her arrival as a full-time competitor on the tour was one of the most anticipated moments in recent memory. Alix Klineman did not disappoint.
When the 6-foot-5 Klineman teamed up with star April Ross, they dominated their first event together in 2018, one of four victories for the team last year.
Klineman, the former Stanford star, was voted as the tour’s Best Blocker and Most Improved Player last season. Besides her towering size, Klineman isn’t easy to overlook. It’s been that way since she was perhaps the nation’s most sought-after player following a stellar career at high school powerhouse Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
During her high school years, Klineman dabbled on the beach like all the other kids in her volleyball-crazed hometown. Upon graduation, she took her talents to Stanford and a legend was in the making. By her senior year at college, Klineman was National Player of the Year for the Cardinals and was a perennial All-America pick.
Still, she wasn’t quite yet ready for the beach. She played indoors internationally in Italy and Brazil, plus represented the United States internationally from 2008-15.
When she finally hit the AVP with force, she earned the circuit’s Rookie of the Year in 2017. Last year, though, Klineman really made her presence felt.
Before the 2018 AVP season even started, she partnered with April Ross to capture the FIVB event in The Hague, Netherlands. Hell of a way to kick off a season, becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in their first international event.
When the 2018 AVP season kicked off it was clear there was no holding Klineman and Ross back. They racked up a stunning 30-3 match record, winning four of the events they played, including the final three of the year.
While Klineman is relatively new to the sand by pro beach standards, she’s picked up the sport with gusto and knows how to pick partners. Ross has won 33 times on the AVP Tour in her career – and you can bank on seeing more victorious champagne sprays from this dynamic duo in 2019.
Have you seen this pair in action? What are some of your favorite plays from the 2018 season? Let us know on Twitter, FB and Instagram!