In late May, Todd Rogers sat in the players' tent between matches at the AVP Huntington Beach Open discussing the trying season ahead. It was his sixth tournament of the year, but the season was still young.
At the time Rogers and partner Phil Dalhausser were the reigning world and Olympic champions, and soon would be off to Norway to defend their world title. With a win at the 2009 FIVB World Championships, the duo would become the first men's team to win beach volleyball's major international tournament three years in a row.
Rogers said winning that tournament was their main goal this year. But it wasn't their only goal.
"If we didn't win worlds and win every other tournament, I'd be pretty happy," he said. "It'd be great to win worlds, (but) it's not going to determine whether the season's a disappointment or not."
They didn't win worlds; instead they earned a bronze medal. And at the season's second-biggest tournament, the AVP Manhattan Open, Rogers and Dalhausser again took third. They were the three-time reigning champions entering Manhattan, but again failed to defend the title.
Those letdowns -- by their standards, that is -- seemingly have lit a fire under Rogers and Dalhausser, who have since turned the season into anything but a disappointment. They've regained the form that's made them the best team on the AVP Tour since 2006 and have now won seven AVP titles this year, including the last three. Internationally, they've won two FIVB events -- Grand Slams in Marseille, France, and Klagenfurt, Austria, which came immediately before their three consecutive AVP wins, meaning Rogers and Dalhausser have won the past five events in which they've played.
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