Olympic gold partners on their own this time
Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers could have a different perspective on teammate Phil Dalhausser in the Best of the Beach all-star event on the Association of Volleyball Professionals Crocs Tour.
Rogers, the U.S.'s leading defensive specialist, is accustomed to staring at the big blocker's back while awaiting an opponent's serve. But if the reigning Olympic champions play on the same court in the three-day event that opens today at Mandalay Bay, it will be on different sides of the net.
"Phil is the best blocker in the world, and the best scenario would be to play him because that would mean we both made it to the championship match," said Rogers, the tournament's top seed.
What would it be like to stuff the 6-foot-9-inch Dalhausser for championship point?
"That would be pretty sweet," said Rogers, who stands 6-2. Dalhausser is the No. 2 seed.
"It's just fun to be in Vegas. It's been a long year and a lot of us are tired. But it's always nice to win more cash."
The Best of the Beach invites the top 16 AVP players of each gender to compete in a format that rotates teammates. Individual points won determines the king and queen of the sand.
The male and female champions each can make about $20,000 through Saturday night's final matches. Yearlong teammate combinations are unlikely to occur during the tournament, which has morning and evening pool-play sessions through Saturday, when the finals begin at 7 p.m.
Rogers and Dalhausser have been the dominant U.S. men's duo for three years. Before winning gold at Beijing last summer, they became the first American men to win the FIVB World Championship, in 2007.
Rogers turns 36 in two weeks and realizes his globe-trotting days on various types of sand are limited. He expects to decide within a month if he wants to continue the worldwide travel needed to defend his title at the 2012 London Games.
"Phil has designs on going back and defending, but I'm not sure if I do. I'll review everything at the end of the season and see if I want to go there again and take another crack at the Olympics," said Rogers, the father of two children, Hannah, 10, and Nate, 8.
"Competing internationally isn't like the AVP Tour when you're away from home three or four days at a time. You can be gone for up to five weeks on the international circuit.
"That's hard on me, my wife (Melissa) and the kids. That's what I have to weigh."
Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.
MAY-TREANOR, WALSH PLAN REUNION NEXT WEEK
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor will return to the domestic beach volleyball tour next weekend, when she will reunite with teammate Kerri Walsh.
May-Treanor, who injured her Achilles' tendon while practicing for "Dancing with the Stars" last October, will join Walsh for the AVP World Challenge from Sept. 25 to 27 at Glendale, Ariz. It will be their first competition together in 2009, though they did team to play Shaquille O'Neal for his reality TV show "Shaq Vs."
"It's hard to believe it has been an entire year since I last played on tour," May-Treanor said. "I've been working hard to get back into shape after the injury."
Walsh sat out most of the AVP season after having a baby in the spring. She returned last month and has been playing mostly with Rachel Wacholder, who also was without a partner after taking time off to give birth.
"I'm so excited to play with Misty again," Walsh said. "I know she's been training on her own, and i think we're going to find our rhythm really quickly."
They won their second straight Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.
The World Challenge pits the top teams from the United States and Brazil, the world's top two beach volleyball powers, against each other.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
