Cardinal... and GOLD! Part 2

Last time I talked about my top picks for a Trojan gold at the Olympics. Of course they don't stop there, as many other athletes will have a great chance to step onto the top of the podium. Let's continue our trip to the nation's most successful collegiate program.

Beach Volleyball
Copacabana and its sands are ready to host the top contestants in this young Olympic discipline (first appearance dates back to 1996). Team USA is on top of the medal counts, with 6 golds, 3 from the men's side and 3 from the women's, where the legendary pair of Kerry Walsh and Misty May-Treanor were able to repeat themselves three consecutive times, starting in Athens all the way until London. As Misty May-Treanor retired from the scene after her last gold, the pairs are a little different from the ones that competed in London.

Tri Bourne
Hawaiian class of 2011, Bourne lead the Trojans to the NCAA Final Four in 2009 before stepping on the sand. He was named 2013 AVP Rookie of the year and Most Improved Player in the same year. A year later he was named Top Rookie in the men's FIVB Tour. Partnering with indoor veteran John Hyden (two Olympics indoor appearances, in 1996 and 2000, both played with Jeff Nygaard, current head coach of USC men's volleyball team) they are currently in the Top 20 of the FIVB Olympic Race. However, due to country quota limit, they will have to take over American second best-ranked team Dalhausser/Lucena to gain a spot in Rio. With a gold in his palmares at the Berlin open in 2014, he could be a dark horse in the men's draw.

Jennifer Kessy
Class of 1999, she decided to play on sand after two years as an indoor pro. Her longtime partner is another Trojan alum, April Ross. Together they won the World Championships in 2009, when they were held in Stavanger, Norway. In 2012 their Olympic dreams were stopped by compatriots Walsh and May-Treanor. After their silver medal, they parted and having a baby, she will try to qualify together with Emily Day. They will have to take over second best-ranked American team of Fendrick/Sweat.

April Ross
Class of 2004 from Costa Mesa, CA, she helped the Trojans to win two back-to-back NCAA titles in 2002-2003, which are also the last ones for the Women of Troy in this sport. First team All-America, her number is currently up over the student section at the Galen Center. After a short experience indoor, she moved on to play on sand, where she achieved her best results with Jennifer Kessy. After losing the final in London, she split with Kessy. She's now partnering with three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh-Jennings. This season they already won the FIVB Grand Slam in Rio de Janeiro and fell short in second place at the Vitoria Open. They have a great chance to get a gold over the summer, however the Carioca crowd will be definitely cheering for the Brazilian pairs.