Santa Barbara’s Todd Rogers and new partner Ryan Doherty took a silver medal in their debut last week at the Cayman Islands Beach Volleyball Tournament.
Rogers and the 7-foot-1 Doherty lost in the final to Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez and Eric Haddock, 21-16, 21-18.
“I am really elated about winning against one of the greats of all-time like Todd (Rogers),” Rodriguez told the FIVB.
Rogers expressed his pleasure with his overall performance with his new partner.
“I am happy with the way we played in general,” Rogers told the FIVB. “It is our first tournament together and making it to the finals is pretty good. The competition was solid with teams like Canada, Mexico and, of course, Puerto Rico.
“I’d rather have liked to win and we were close, one point here and there, but I am pleased,” he added. “The organization was great with Noel (Williams, the president of Cayman Islands Federation) and the people in Cayman Islands with their ever present smile made it enjoyable.”
Rogers and Doherty have been training at East Beach.
Rogers ended a seven-year partnership with Phil Dalhausser last year. They were one of the most successful teams of all-time. They won a FIVB World Championship in 2007, an Olympic gold medal in 2008, played in two Olympic Games, won a FIVB World Tour Championship, nine FIVB World Tour Grand Slam events, 23 FIVB tournament titles, four AVP Tour Championships, and 43 AVP tournament titles. They hold the FIVB World Tour record of consecutive match wins with 40 and have earned more than $1.5 million in prize money.
Dalhausser is playing with Sean Rosenthal.
Doherty, a former college (Notre Dame) and pro baseball pitcher, previously played with Casey Patterson.
