Hyden gets help to win AVP title

John Hyden played well throughout the three rounds of the AVP Crocs Tour Gods and Goddesses of the Beach volleyball tournament at Caesars Palace, but he needed some assistance to win his second career tourney title.

The seventh-seeded Hyden selected Mike Lambert to be his playing partner a few minutes before the final match, and the duo posted a 16-21, 21-16, 15-9 victory over the team of second-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal in the men's championship match Saturday night.

Hyden played a strong defensive match with five digs to go along with 12 kills. Lambert, though, was a huge offensive and defensive threat with 20 kills and seven blocks.

And when Hyden and Lambert went on a 7-2 run that extended their 8-7 lead to 15-9, Lambert recorded three kills and two blocks during the stretch, including a kill on the game-ending 15th point.

"I think that's when my partner decided (to take command); he came up with some huge blocks back to back," Hyden said. "He really got the fire in his eye, took control of the game. I really had a great partner tonight."

Hyden won $24,500 while Dalhausser earned $19,750 for the tourney.

In the first game, Dalhausser and Rosenthal, who had 23 kills and nine digs in the match, held the lead after breaking a 7-7 tie with four consecutive points. After that, the closest Hyden and Lambert came was two points of the lead, at 18-16, following a point on a Hyden kill.

Hyden and Lambert led throughout most of the second game. Dalhausser and Rosenthal narrowed the lead to three points at 18-15, but a Hyden kill increased the lead to 19-15. Dalhausser and Rosenthal were unable to get closer than four points of the lead after that.

With the win, the 34-year-old Hyden has now claimed two titles in his AVP career.

"I felt like my game was great all weekend," he said. "I felt really good. I definitely have a lot of confidence going into the end of the year, but also going into the offseason and getting ready for next year. That win really picks me up.

"Every guy who is playing here (can win the title)," Hyden added. "It doesn't really matter the seed because everybody is good. Everybody can get through to the finals. It's a little tougher because you have to play through the first round, and the top guys have a bye.

"So playing all the matches is a little tiring, it's a little tougher. But I think any seed could have won that."

The 27-year-old Dalhausser was ranked first during the recently competed AVP regular season by finishing first 10 times (in 16 events) after winning eight times in 2006, all with partner Todd Rogers.

Dalhausser has won 21 titles during his career.

Earlier, defending champion and top seed Rogers was eliminated when Hyden earned a pair of two-game victories during his first two Pool Y matches, which was why he was able to advance to the final with a 2-1 record.

Dalhausser won Pool Z with a 3-0 record.