Kerri Walsh Jennings showed the toughness of a three-time Olympic champion, dislocating her right shoulder, having it popped back in and returning with April Ross to beat the reigning World beach volleyball champions on Friday.
Walsh Jennings, a 36-year-old mother of three, dislocated her right shoulder for the second time in two months in a 21-17, 23-21 win over Brazilian World champions Agatha and Barbara at an FIVB World Tour quarterfinal in Gstaad, Switzerland, on Friday.
Walsh Jennings dislocated the shoulder on a kill while she and Ross led 10-4 in the second set. After falling to the sand and needing a medical timeout, at least three people helped pop the taped shoulder back in.
“We had a very big lead, so I was confident that I can play smart enough where I wasn’t going to hurt myself again, and that April would step up and make up the difference,” Walsh Jennings, with a large ice pack wrapped over her right shoulder, told media in Gstaad. “She was four players to my half player, and that’s why we won.”
Walsh Jennings previously dislocated the shoulder May 27, which kept her out of competition for one month. She’s also undergone four right shoulder surgeries.
Walsh Jennings and Ross advanced to the semifinals of the Gstaad tournament, one week after being eliminated in the World Championships round of 16.
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