Olympic gold medalist Dalhausser continued to escalate his game in 2009. He won the season opener with Rogers, marking the third straight season the duo has begun the AVP year with a title. The pair won four of the first five AVP events but then did not win their next three tournaments, marking the first time since 2007 the duo had gone that many domestic events without garnering a title. Dalhausser and Rogers then won the next three AVP events, locking up their fourth straight season with the most team wins on the AVP. In Hermosa Beach Dalhausser became the 16th player to surpass $1 million in career earnings. On the FIVB Tour, the pair placed third in the World Championships in Stavanger. In Marseille, Dalhausser and Rogers put an end to the record 25-match win streak by Germany's Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann en route to winning the title, their first international victory since their Olympic Gold in Beijing, before winning another Grand Slam title in Klagenfurt. The duo returned to the U.S. and won three straight AVP titles before their 34-match winning streak was ended in the Chicago finale. Dalhausser dominated the AVP awards banquet, taking home Most Valuable Player, Best Offensive Player, and Best Defensive Player (Blocker) and sharing Team of the Year honors with Rogers. He also won the FIVB's 2009 Best Hitter, Best Setter, and Best Offensive Player awards.

 

In 2008 Dalhausser and Rogers began the season claiming the first five AVP titles and winning their first 27 matches before placing third in Atlanta, the only AVP event they did not play in the finals. The duo won 11 domestic titles and Dalhausser was chosen by John Hyden in the individual event, helping him to a win. For the second straight season he was the top-ranked player while pacing the Tour in victories (11) and earnings. He had the most blocks per game (2.12), led in hitting percentage (.519), and was third in aces per game (.83). Internationally the duo played seven events, winning medals in all of them. They began the season with a pair of bronzes, then in four Grand Slams won a silver and three golds. During the Olympic qualifying process, they accumulated the highest point total in the world, and entered the Beijing Games on a 21-match FIVB winning streak, one win shy of the record. In their first Olympic match they were upset by the 23rd-seeded team but rebounded to win the gold medal, capping it off with a three-game win over Brazilians Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz Magalhaes.

 

Dalhausser previously enjoyed a break-out year in  2006, winning eight AVP tournaments with Todd Rogers along with an FIVB Grand Slam event in Austria. In 2007 the duo collected 11 victories, including the FIVB World Championships, becoming the first American team to win that coveted title. His $220,000 in earnings from the AVP in 2007 was the most for any individual since 1997.

 

He was named the Most Improved Player by both the AVP and FIVB in 2006, and in a testament to his all-around game, has been selected as the AVP's Best Offensive Player for the past three straight seasons, the FIVB's Best Blocker for the past two years as well as the Best Hitter in 2007, and was chosen as the AVP MVP in 2007.

 

In Austin in 2005 he registered his first title ever with Nick Lucena, winning three matches in the contender's bracket and defeating each of the top three seeds in the tournament. Had played only four events with players other than Nick Lucena before the 2006 season. Played in five qualifiers in 2003, but their seventh-place finish to start the 2004 season enabled them to make the main draw ever since.

 

Dalhausser led the Tour in blocks in 2005 (405) and was sixth in kill percentage (.588). In 2005 he was the most popular men's player in the AVP Fantasy Beach Volleyball Contest. Dalhausser led the AVP in 2006 in blocks (2.56 per game), hitting percentage (.481) and kill percentage (.627), while ranking fifth in aces (.62 per game). In 2007 he was first on the AVP in blocks (2.18 per game) and hitting percentage (.532) while being second in aces (1.01 per game).

 

Dalhausser was born in Switzerland, where he lived for one year. His father is German and his mother is Swiss. Has one brother, and his father is his role model. He didn't start playing volleyball until his senior year in high school, where he played basketball and tennis. "The Thin Beast" received a business degree from University of Central Florida, playing on the club team there.

Favorite Movie: Gangs of New York... Favorite TV Show: Pardon the Interruption...Greatest Accomplishment: Gold medal in Olympics... Favorite Band: Led Zeppelin...Favorite Meal: Chicken burrito...Sponsors: Red Bull, Oakley, Mikasa...Hobbies: Saltwater aquarium, sports, XBOX 360...Website: www.phildalhausser.com (under construction)...If you weren't playing pro beach volleyball, what would you do? Teacher