AVP.com: Rogers feels team hasn't peaked, AVP's top duo looks for improvement

April 30, 2007

Rogers feels team hasn't peaked
AVP's top duo looks for improvement

By Mike Scarr / AVP.com

As Todd Rogers sees it, he and partner Phil Dalhausser haven't yet peaked.

Recent performances may suggest otherwise as the pair have won the first two events on this year's AVP calendar, but Rogers strives to peak for the bigger midsummer tournaments. That tactic will be particularly important this year which will also include qualifying events for next summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.

Still, Rogers and Dalhausser, a team that reeled off eight tournament victories last season, is 2-0 in 2007 and they're doing what any good team has to do.

"Take a look at our scores; we're squeaking by," Rogers said. "With the exception of the finals, which in both we played very good volleyball, we're winning by scores like 26-24 and 21-19."We're not obliterating teams a la Kerri (Walsh) and Misty (May-Treanor) but we're winning the close ones, which is huge and that is why we are where we're at because we've managed to pull off the close ones."

Rogers can feel pretty good about the early success that he and Dalhausser have enjoyed this season, though. He was a two-time All-America at UC Santa Barbara, where he refined the value of setting goals. With their early victories, Rogers and Dalhausser have eclipsed the first goal and have placed the second goal of matching last season's tally within reach.

The third goal of utterly dominating and winning 18-25 tournaments in the 2007 campaign (including those on both the AVP and FIVB circuits) is unrealistic, Rogers admits, but it nonetheless helps to maintain the team's focus over the long season. Rogers said the mental grind can be as tough as the physical aspect of the sport and marvels at those that maintain their edge.

"I've found it harder and harder to keep winning and winning," Rogers said. "It makes it all that more impressive when teams like Misty and Kerri and back in the day, Karch (Kiraly) and Kent (Steffes) or (Sinjin) Smith/ (Randy) Stoklos, when they were winning so many tournaments. It is impressive that they can keep their focus for that long."

Rogers said that to maintain their own focus, he and Dalhausser need to put more energy into the early rounds and mimic the play they've exhibited in their two final matches.

"We have to play a little bit better, have a little bit better warm up," Rogers said. "Maybe not take that team quite as lightly and we'll end up with a big difference in scores by as many as three or four points. We can be in a more comfortable position instead of scrambling and get that last point. That has to be our focus."

Omens: The teams of Walsh and May-Treanor, and Dalhausser and Rogers both won last week and also are the respective defending champions at Huntington Beach.

Long season: Mike Lambert and Stein Metzger suffered the early season shock when they dropped two straight matches in Dallas. The No. 1 seed lost their opening match to Albert Hannemann and Ed Ratledge and then fell to Brent Doble and Ty Loomis in the contender's bracket

Lambert said he feels that he and Metzger have better communication this season, though, and are buoyed by the fact the bulk of the schedule still remains.

"Last year we didn't win a tournament for five tournaments but we had some good finishes," Lambert said. "Hopefully we get to a final sooner this year."

Cut shots: The first two tournaments have seen low seeds advance. Matt Olson and Jason Ring (13) finished third in Miami while Ryan Mariano and Larry Witt (11) placed third in Dallas. On the women's side, Jennifer Boss and April Ross (11) lost in the final in Miami ¦ Ryan Mariano led the Dallas Open with 12 aces in 16 games while Mark Williams led the men with 14 blocks in 12 games. On the women's side, Tatiana Minello and Walsh each had 12 aces and Dianne DeNecochea led with 19 blocks.

Up next: The tour makes its first stop in California with the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open, May 3-6. Qualifying rounds for the 32-teams men's and women's draws will be Thursday with both men's and women's finals to be contested Sunday afternoon.