Dalhausser, Rogers Reach Finland Semifinals

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 21, 2010) – The U.S. men’s beach team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers advanced to their 12th 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour semifinal of the season on Saturday at the US$380,000 PAF Open in Mariehamn, Åland, Finland.

Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.), the tournament’s top-seeded team, will play in Sunday’s first semifinal against fifth-seeded Adrian Gavira and Pablo Herrera of Spain.

The winning team will play the winner of the semifinal between fourth-seeded Penggen Wu and Linyin Xu of China and third-seeded Marcio Araujo and Ricardo Santos of Brazil. In Dalhausser’s and Rogers’ previous two semifinal appearances in Poland (Stare Jablonki) and Norway (Kristiansand), the Americans defeated Marcio Araujo and Ricardo to advance to the finals.

Dalhausser and Rogers have won eight gold medals in 11 FIVB events so far this season. They also have one silver medal, one bronze and one fourth-place finish.

Dalhausser and Rogers made it into the semifinals by defeating Wu and Xu 21-9, 21-15 in 38 minutes in the fourth round on Saturday.

Casey Jennings (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kevin Wong (Honolulu, Hawaii), seeded 24th, who were playing in their first international event as a team, finished the tournament tied for ninth after falling to Latvia’s sixth-ranked Martins Plavins and Janis Smedins in the consolation bracket on Saturday, 21-19, 21-15 in 41 minutes.

The men’s medal matches in Finland will be shown live at universalsports.com at 10 a.m. on Sunday (Aug. 22).

For more information on this and other SWATCH FIVB World Tour events, click here.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, Casey Jennings, FIVB beach, FIVB World Tour, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rogers