The Thin Beast wins gold and other important volleyball thoughts

To piggyback on Brad’s post about Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser winning gold, Dalhausser’s nickname is “The Thin Beast.”

At an AVP stop in Arlington earlier this year, the P.A. announcer teasingly called him the “Thin, Sexy Beast” becasue he’d just posed for a rather sultry magazine cover.

At 6-9, he’s bald and a dominating presence at the net.

Since pairing with veteran Rogers about three years ago, Dalhausser, 28, has shot up the AVP and international rankings. He became a pro only after struggling to find work after graduating from Central Florida with a business degree.

In other volleyball news, I’m watching the U.S. indoor team take on Russia in a semifinal. The undefeated Americans are closing in on their first medal since 1992. It’s a pretty amazing story, especially considering the tragedy coach Hugh McCutcheon’s family has endured.