Lambert, Metzger Win Season Points Title

Mike Lambert and Stein Metzger might have lost the championship match at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Cincinnati Open, but they took home the Crocs Cup for winning the season points title.

Metzger and Lambert, who lost, 21-16, 21-13, to Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers on Saturday in the Cincinnati final, finished with 4,524 points -- a mere six ahead of Dalhausser and Rogers.

“Winning the Crocs Cup was our No. 1 goal because you can look back at the entire season and say it was successful and have a trophy to prove it,” Lambert said. “It’s really a test of the entire season.”

Rogers and Dalhausser have a tour-best seven titles this season, the most since 1998, but Lambert and Metzger, five-time winners, made the final four in all 14 tournaments this year and made the championship match nine times.

Rogers and Dalhausser were in eight championship matches and 12 final fours.

Two AVP tournaments remain -- Las Vegas next weekend and Lake Tahoe on Sept. 14-17 -- but they are invitationals and do not count in the season points standings.

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-- Peter Yoon