Ball explains all in latest edition of VolleyWorld
USA setter Ball, 39, announced in April 2011 that he was “taking a break” from volleyball after winning his fourth Russian Super League championship with Zenit Kazan to “reconnect with family and friends. I will also take this time to reflect on what path my life will take next,” he said at the time.
The break lasted about four months. Ball was lured back to Russia by Ural Ufa, where his former US team-mate, Clay Stanley, was already signed to play.
“Obviously, the money was a big factor,” Ball said with refreshing candour. “On top of that, I just came off knee surgery that went really well. Plus, the Russian championship was only going to be four to five months long, with a long break in November where I could come home. Ufa had hired an Italian coach (Angelo Frigoni) that I knew and liked. And, maybe the biggest reason was a chance to play with Steam (Clay Stanley) one more time.”
