AVP VOLLEYBALL: TOP SEED GOES OUT SOFTLY LAMBERT AND METZGER LOSE TO NO. 2 SEED.Byline: ROMAN VEYTSMAN Special to the Daily News Sitting on a folding chair in the media tent after the game, Mike Lambert clutched a bottle of water and then threw it down to the floor in frustration. It wasn't so much losing to No. 2 Phil Dalhausser Phil Dalhausser (born January 26 1980) is an American beach volleyball player. At 6'9", Dalhausser led the 2005 AVP tour in blocks and was sixth in kill percentage. As of 2006, Dalhausser teams up with Todd Rogers. Dalhausser has previously teamed up with Nick Lucena. and Todd Rogers Todd Rogers (born September 30, 1973 in Santa Barbara, California) is a top professional beach volleyball player on the AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour. Born in Santa Barbara, he attended San Marcos High School (Santa Barbara, California) After a successful one year career as much as it was the way he and Stein Metzger Stein Metzger (born November 17, 1972 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a top beach volleyball player from the United States, playing in the AVP. In 2006 he played with his high school teammate, Mike Lambert, and they advanced to the Final Four in fourteen of the fifteen team events, winning , the top-seeded team, lost 20-22, 23-21, 11-15 at the Manhattan Beach Manhattan Beach, city (1990 pop. 32,063), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1912. It is a residential and beach community with an oil refinery and nearby factories that produce transportation and electrical equipment, computers, and pottery. Open. Down 11-10 in the third game, Metzger and Lambert fought to keep the ball in play during a long rally, but Rogers played uncharacteristically tall, blocking two balls to help gain a two-point advantage, and the two would score three of the next four points as well. To finish the deal, Dalhausser clipped the net on his serve as the ball fell softly, but landed untouched on the other side of the net, an ending that Metzger said he has never seen. ``That feels like the hardest loss I have ever taken,'' Metzger said. ``To lose in that fashion is heartbreaking.'' Dalhausser and Rogers won for the sixth time this season, a number last reached by Adam Johnson Adam Johnson may refer to:
For Dalhausser, the win came with a few sacrifices as Lambert's kills resulted in two head shots on Dalhausser, who left with a bandage on his face. ``If I have to take it in the face to win Manhattan, I'll take it,'' Dalhausser said. While the 6-foot-9-inch Dalhausser was relatively ineffective -- posting a bagel in blocks during the third game -- the 6-foot-2 Rogers played above the net, causing Dalhausser to joke that he needs to take blocking lessons from Rogers. ``You would never have thought that two blocks by Todd Rogers would have been the difference,'' Lambert said. If Lambert and Metzger took care of business in the first game there may not have been a third game. The duo had game point, but let it slip away. ``It seemed like they won a lot of the long rallies and we didn't finish,'' Metzger said. Before Lambert took his anger out on the water bottle, he pointed his attention to the volleyball as he kicked it out of the stadium. The last time the two teams faced off in a final, Dalhausser and Rogers won in similar fashion, a close three game match at Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach (hûrmō`sə), city (1990 pop. 18,219), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1907. It is a residential suburb and a popular resort noted for its fine, sandy beaches and excellent surf. , but in their last two non-final meetings, Lambert and Metzger walked away victorious. In addition to winning the AVP's biggest event, Dalhausser and Rogers also took home a win at Austria last week on the FIVB FIVB Federation of International Volleyball tour, the first win for Americans in 50 events. roman.veytsman@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Todd Rogers hits the ball against Mike Lambert during the AVPManhattan Beach Open men's final match Sunday. Jeff Gross/Getty Images |
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