Jennifer Kessy
Resides: San Clemente, Calif.
Height: 6-0
College: USC
Olympic History: None
View Jen's statistical bio at BVBInfo.com
PERSONAL: Born Jennifer Anne Kessy on July 31, 1977 in San Clemente, Calif. ... Parents are Ronald and Charlotte Kessy... Jennifer's brothers are Ryan and Travis Kessy... Jennifer went to Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, Calif., where she competed in both swimming and volleyball... She graduated from USC in 2000 with a degree in history... She played volleyball at USA for all four years... She was named All-District in 1997, All-American in 1998 and earned All-PAC 10 selection 1995-1998... Jennifer was a member of the indoor U.S. Junior National Team... She played indoors professionally for the Chicago Thunder in 2002 and in Puerto Rico in 2003... Jen enjoys golfing, water skiing, surfing, bocce ball, cooking, home improvement and riding her beach cruzer... Her role models are her parents.
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2011: In the FIVB season opener in Brasilia, Jen Kessy and partner April Ross won a bronze medal... in Shanghai the duo won a silver medal... 2010 – Jen and partner April Ross competed in 15 FIVB World Tour events in 2010, winning two (Shanghai, China and the Grand Slam in Rome, Italy) and capturing one second place (the Grand Slam in Moscow, Russia) and two thirds (Seoul, Korea and Sanya, China)... Jen was named the Most Outstanding Player of the event in Shanghai... The team had two fourth-place finishes and three fifths. They won a total of $106,675. 2009 - Jen and partner April Ross won the FIVB World Championship in Stavanger, Norway (6/25-7/4). The pair went 8-0 and lost only two sets, defeating Brazil's Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca in the final. Jen led all players in hitting with a 0.593 hitting percentage... They also won the FIVB World Tour events in Marseille, France (7/20-26) and Phuket, Thailand (11/3-8). Kessy was named the MVP of both events. The team also gathered four second-place finishes and two thirds in 10 events to rank third and win $139,100. 2008 - Jen and April competed in 12 international events, winning $87,300. The team finished the 2008 FIVB Beach World Tour in impressive fashion, winning the season's final two events. In the final three events of the year, Jen and April totaled two wins (Thailand and China) and a runner-up showing (Dubai)... In Dubai (Oct. 5-10), the pair reached the finals before falling to fellow Americans Kerri Walsh and Nicole Branagh... The pair went a perfect 6-0 in Thailand (Nov. 4-9) to capture the gold medal, this time defeating Branagh and partner Tyra Turner in the final... The squad shook off a third-round loss in China (Nov. 11-16) to come all the way back and reach the finals. Jen and April swept China's Ying Huang and Zhang Xi for their second straight gold. 2007 - Jen and April competed in eight FIVB international tournaments. They won the event in Stavanger, Norway, becoming the lowest seeded team (29th) ever to win an FIVB event. They fought through three rounds of qualifying and lost their first two pool play matches. They also finished second once and totaled $53,050. 2006 - Jen played in eight FIVB events with Nancy Mason and Rachel Wacholder, but did not reach the podium. She won $15,100 with her partners. 2005 - Jen played in eight FIVB events with Holly McPeak and Nancy Mason. Her best finish was a fourth with Mason in Acapulco, Mexico. Their winnings totaled $30,875. 2004 - Jen played in two FIVB tournaments with Barb Fontana but they did not make it through qualifying. 2002 - Jen played in one FIVB event with Cary Wendell, but they did not make it through qualifying. 2001 - Jen won an FIVB Challenger tournament with Heather Lowe. She competed in an FIVB World Tour event with Angie Simpson, but did not make it through qualifying. 2000 - Jen and Angie Simpson competed in one FIVB Challenger tournament and two World Tour events, but did not medal.
DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 – Jen and April opened the season with a third-place finish in Fort Lauderdale and a fifth in Santa Barbara before winning its next four AVP Tour stops before the AVP ceased operations on Aug. 13. They won $47,750… The pair finished the season with a victory at the Cincinnati Pro Beach Volleyball Players Championship on Sept. 3-5 in Cincinnati, Ohio, defeating Rachel Scott and Elaine Youngs in the final and winning $5,000. 2009 - Jen and April won their first AVP title in Houston (5/15-17) and went on to win four more. They also had five second-place finishes and two thirds, winning a total of $141,050. They finished third in the race for the Crocs Cup... Jen also won the Queen of the Beach title in Las Vegas (9/17-19), playing in the final with Tyra Turner... Jen played in five AVP Hot Winter Nights events, winning one and taking second three times. 2008 - Jen and April played in 13 AVP summer events and took five second-place finishes and six thirds. They won a total of $125,250. Jen won the Queen of the Beach tournament in Glendale, Ariz. (9/25-27), playing with Kerri Walsh in the final. Jen played in seven AVP Hot Winter Nights events, winning one, with one second and two thirds. 2007 - Playing for the first time as a team, Jen and April opened the season with a second-place finish in Miami. They played in 16 summer AVP events, taking second two times and third four times. In Hermosa Beach, they defeated Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in the winners' bracket. They won a total of $73,525. 2006 - Jen opened the AVP season playing with Nancy Mason and the team finished second in its first two events. They also had three thirds. Jen teamed with Rachel Wacholder for the final five AVP tournaments and finished with two seconds and three thirds. Jen and her partners won a total of $76,850. 2005 - Jen and partner Holly McPeak played in 13 AVP matches and finished second two times and third nine times. They won a total of $80,650 and ended the season ranked third. Kessy was Rachel Wacholder's selection as partner for the final of the Goddess of the Beach tournament. Kessy ended the year ranked second on the Tour in blocks per game (1.03). 2004 - Jen and partner Barbra Fontana played in 11 AVP matches and had one second place, Jen's best finish on the tour thus far, and three thirds. It was the first season that Jen reached the AVP podium and she finished the season with her best ranking ever at ninth. The team won a total of $32,912.50. 2003 - Jen and partner Jenny Pavley competed in seven AVP events with their best finish at seventh (twice). They won a total of $6,900. 2002 - Jen and partner Heather Lowe competed in six AVP events and had two ninth-place finishes. They won a total of $3,680. 2001 - Jen made her AVP debut in 2000 and played in four events, finishing ninth three times.
PARTNERS: 2010 - April Ross. 2009 - April Ross. 2008 - April Ross. 2007 - April Ross. 2006 - Nancy Mason/Rachel Wacholder. 2005 - Holly McPeak. 2004 - Barbra Fontana. 2003 - Jenny Pavley. 2002 - Heather Lowe. 2001 - Jennifer Simpson/Angie Maredith/Heather Lowe
HONORS: 2009 - USA Volleyball Beach Team of the Year (with April Ross). 2004 - Named AVP Most Improved Player.
Updated Nov. 29, 2010
