Jennifer Kessy

Personal

Married to French beach volleyball player Andy Cés since March of 2013, pair have two daughters

Career Highlights

• 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist with partner April Ross
• Won the 2009 FIVB World Championship with April Ross
• Twice named the USA Volleyball Beach Team of the Year with partner April Ross (2012, 2009)
• In 2010, became the eighth women (sixth American) to surpass the $1 million in career earnings
• Returned to competition in February 2015 at Melhores do Mundo in Rio de Janeiro with new partner Emily Day after an absence from the 2014 season
• DID YOU KNOW
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• Last professional beach event played was the 2016 Manhattan Beach Open with Jennifer Fopma
• Last played internationally in 2016 with Emily Day, finishing tied for 18th in 2016 Olympic rankings, which was third among U.S. women's teams
• Duo finished ninth four consecutive times: at the Vitoria, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Sochi Opens, their best finishes in Olympic qualifying since they took bronze in Antalya back on Oct. 25, 2015
• Won bronze at the 2016 FIVB Antalya Open with Emily Day, their first medal together and Kessy's first podium appearance since 2013
• Tied for seventh at the inaugural FIVB World Tour Finals (2015) with Emily Day
• Finished 17th at the 2015 Beach World Championships with Emily Day, duo was eliminated in the round of 32
• On the 2015 FIVB World Tour, had a best finish of fifth at the Moscow Grand Slam, finished the year with six Top 10 finishes
• One week after winning the 2012 Olympic silver medal, Kessy and April Ross finished fifth at the Mazury Orlen Grand Slam in Stare Jablonki, Poland
• Kessy and Ross advanced to the Olympic gold medal match by upsetting top-seeded Larissa França and Juliana Felisberta Da Silva in the semifinals, 15-21, 21-19, 15-12
• Secured their slot in the 2012 Olympic Games with a fifth-place finish at the Beijing Grand Slam, earning enough points to beat Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Niles
• Opened the 2011 FIVB season in Brasilia with partner April Ross with a bronze medal and won the Hermosa Beach Open and the NVL's event in Miami. Placed third at U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball and the Jose Cuervo Tour's Miami Open
• Won two FIVB World Tour events in 2010 with Ross (Shanghai and Rome), Jennifer was named the Most Outstanding Player in Shanghai
• With partner April Ross, the duo won the 2009 FIVB World Championship in Stavanger, Norway, going 8-0 and dropping only two sets. Kessy led all players with a 0.593 hitting percentage
• Domestically in 2009 with Ross, the duo dominated the AVP Tour, winning five events, finishing second five times and third twice. Jennifer also played in five AVP Hot Winter Nights events, winning one and taking second three times
• Finished eighth in the 2008 FIVB World Tour after winning the final two events (Thailand and China). Even better, with Ross the duo finished on the podium 11 times out of 13 AVP events
• With April Ross, became the lowest seeded team (29th) to ever win an FIVB event when they won in Stavanger, Norway in 2007
• In her first match with partner April Ross, the team finished second at AVP Miami. In Hermosa Beach, they defeated Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings in the winner's bracket
• Between 2005-06, finished second on the AVP tour six times and in third 15 times with partners Mason, Wacholder and McPeak
• Played professionally (indoor) for the Chicago Thunder in 2002 and in Puerto Rico in 2003
• Graduated from USC in 2000 with a degree in history. Was a member of the Trojan volleyball team, being named All-District in 1997, All-American in 1998
• Former member of the U.S. Women's Junior National Team

Olympic Experience

• 1-time Olympian; 1-time Olympic medalist (1 silver)
• Olympic Games London 2012, silver (Team - Women)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2015 – 17th (Team - Women)
• Years of participation: Team - Women 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015
• Medals: 1 (1 gold)
• Gold – 2009 (Team - Women)