Phil Dalhausser

Birthdate: Jan. 26, 1980

Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla.

Resides: Ventura, Calif.

College: Central Florida

Website: phildalhausser.com

Facebook: facebook.com/PhilDalhausser

Twitter: twitter.com/PhilDalhausser

 

 

BEST FINISH / WINNINGS

Domestic: 1^st (45 times) $914,860.00

International: 1^st (23 times) $715,550.00

Overall: 1^st (68 times) $1,630.410.00

  

 

BIOGRAPHY

Olympic gold medalist Phil Dalhausser has continued to elevate his game since he first took to the beach a decade ago. Nicknamed “The Thin Beast,” Dalhausser first teamed up with beach volleyball veteran, Todd Rogers, in 2006 and the pair quickly became an international force. 

In their first years as partners, Dalhausser and Rogers placed ninth in the AVP season opener before winning their next four tournaments together. They tallied a total of eight wins in nine finals appearances, earning Dalhausser the honor of being the third-ranked player on the Tour in his fourth year as a pro. He led the Tour in blocks per set (2.21) and hitting percentage (.483) while ranking fourth in aces per set (.65). He and Rogers played in six FIVB events, winning three medals, including a gold medal in the Grand Slam in Klagenfurt that ended a 50-event drought for the U.S. men winning internationally.

In 2007, Dalhausser and Rogers advanced to the semifinals in all 16 AVP events, winning 10 titles, including at Manhattan Beach. Dalhausser was the top-ranked player on the Tour and again led all players in terms of blocks per set (2.24) and hitting percentage (.541), while moving up to second in aces per set (1.02). Internationally, the duo won three medals, including a gold medal in the World Championships in Gstaad, marking the first time an American team had won that title. Dalhausser’s effort garnered him a plethora of awards including AVP’s Most Valuable Player, Best Offensive Player and the FIVB’s Best Hitter and Best Blocker. His $220,000 in earnings from the AVP were the most for any individual since 1997.

Dalhausser and Rogers had a breakout year in 2008 as they started the season claiming the first five AVP titles, winning their first 27 matches before placing third in Atlanta, the only AVP event where they did not play in the finals. They won 11 domestic titles and Dalhausser was chosen by John Hyden in the individual event, helping him to victory. For the second-straight season, Dalhausser was the top-ranked player while pacing the Tour in victories (11) and earnings. He had the most blocks per set (2.12) and led all players in hitting percentage (.591) and was third in aces per set (.83). On the international front, the pair played in seven events, claiming 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.

Dalhausser and Rogers won the AVP season opener for the third straight year in 2009 on their way to winning four of the first five AVP events that year. For the fourth consecutive year, the pair locked up the most team wins on the AVP. With his victory in Hermosa Beach, Calif. Dalhausser became the 16th player to surpass the $1 million career earnings mark. On the FIVB Tour, the pair placed third in the World Championships in Stavanger. In Marseille, they put an end to the record 25-match win streak by Germany’s Julius Bring and Jonas Reckermann en route to winning the title, their first international victory since their Olympic Gold in Beijing. They returned to the U.S. and won three straight AVP titles before their 34-match winning streak was ended in the Chicago finale. Statistically, Dalhausser completed the trifecta, leading the Tour in aces per set (1.06), blocks per set (2.11) and hitting percentage (.498). The year marked the highest earning one for Dalhausser as he accumulated over $268,000.

In 2010, Dalhausser and Rogers established their dominance on the international scene once again, finishing in the top four in each of the 12 events they played in, including taking home nine gold medals, one silver and one bronze. The pair took home gold in the final five events, dropping only two matches in those tournaments and put together a 24-match winning streak to end the year.

En route to qualifying for their second straight Olympics, Dalhausser and Rogers started off 2012 with a pair of gold medals in Brasilia and Shanghai, before finishing 17th in Beijing the next week. The duo rebounded to finish in the top-four in three of their next four events, earning them a spot in the London Games as the second overall seed. After cruising through pool play unscathed, they fell in an upset to the Italians in the first round of pool play to finish ninth. 

Upon returning from London, they competed in both AVP Tour stops including picking up a third place finish at the Cincinnati Open to earn a spot in the Championships in Santa Barbara the next weekend.

Dalhausser and Rogers picked up two wins in pool play in Santa Barbara before falling to Brad Keenan and John Mayer in their final pool play match setting up a match with fellow Olympians Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the first round of play-offs. Gibb and Rosie were able to hold off Dalhausser and Rogers in a thrilling three-set match to hand them a fifth-place finish to end the year.

During his tenure on the beach, Dalhausser has become one of the most decorated players in the history of the game. He has amassed the following awards:

 

AVP Best Defensive Player (Blocker): 2008, 2009

AVP Best Offensive Player: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

AVP Crocs Cup Champion: 2007 (Todd Rogers), 2008 (Todd Rogers), 2009 (Todd Rogers)

AVP Most Improved Player: 2006

AVP Most Valuable Player: 2007, 2008, 2009

AVP Team of the Year: 2007 (Todd Rogers), 2008 (Todd Rogers), 2009 (Todd Rogers)

FIVB Best Blocker: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012

FIVB Best Hitter: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

FIVB Best Offensive Player: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012

FIVB Best Setter 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

FIVB Most Improved Player: 2006

FIVB Most Outstanding Player: 2010

FIVB Sportsperson of the Year: 2008

FIVB Team of the Year: 2010 (Todd Rogers)

FIVB Tour Champion: 2010 (Todd Rogers)

 

Dalhausser was born in Switzerland, where he lived for one year before his family moved to Florida. He played basketball and tennis in high school and started playing volleyball his senior year. He received his degree in business from Central Florida where he was a member of the men’s club volleyball team. He is married to fellow beach volleyball player Jennifer Corral.