Phil Dalhausser should be in every conversation related to the topic of the greatest beach volleyball player of all time. No player in history could impose a physical dominance on a match like the soft-spoken Floridian.

The third and decisive set of Dalhausser and partner Todd Rogers’ 2008 Olympic gold-medal victory over Brazil’s Marcio and Fabio is exhibit A. Phil simply took over the match with an unprecedented blocking spree in a 15-4 rout.

Born in Sweden, raised in Florida and refined in California the 6-9 bald-headed superstar did a remarkable job of flying under the radar off the court. There is no denying, however, he hovered over his generation of greats with tremendous flare on the sand.

Dalhausser's career has had several different iterations and too many individual accolades to list, but most notable is his equal dominance on both the AVP and FIVB Tours. He has more FIVB Tour victories with 38 than any other American player. His 62 AVP Tour victories and 103 wins overall rank him No. 5 in all time.

He had two runs with fellow Floridian Nick Lucena, which started with a breakthrough AVP victory in Austin in 2005. Dalhausser's next 64 victories came with Todd Rogers, highlighted by an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008 and a World Championship in Gstaad, Switzerland in 2007. He is tied with Jake Gibb for the most Olympic appearances for an American men’s players – two with Rogers and two with Lucena.

During the 2010 season he won nine of 12 FIVB events with Rogers to set an international tour single-season victory record. That same year he led the AVP in blocks, services aces and hitting percentage. He was generally considered the best setter on tour almost every season.

Still competitive at age 45, he remains a force on the AVP League playing for Palm Beach Passion. He just missed adding his eighth plaque to the pier after finishing second in the 2025 Manhattan Open with Trevor Crabb.

Planning to stay connected to the game he started the Phil Dalhausser Beach Volleyball Academy with his wife, Jennifer. They live in Orlando with their two children Sebastian and Sofia.

 

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