Matt Anderson, the two-time reigning USA Volleyball Player of the Year, is taking a break from the sport, citing depression, homesickness while playing for a Russian club team and stress.
The outside hitter Anderson, 27 and the youngest member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, released a statement after terminating his contract with his team, Zenit Kazan:
“First of all, I would like to stress that this decision has nothing to do with a conflict with any of my teammates or our coach, or even with the management of Zenit. Everything here in Kazan has been always organized at the highest level. I decided to stop my career, and this is entirely my decision because I feel tired of volleyball. Ever since I started playing professionally, I almost had no chance to see my family. Because of this I do not feel comfortable and have been dealing with stress. This critical condition and home sickness have reached their peak before the start of this season. I thought I could stand and overcome depression, but in the end I was wrong. I will miss the remainder of the season, but I am not finished with volleyball yet. I just want to have a break. I think that this break will help me get back the passion and love for the game. I am grateful to our fans for all the support they provided. I hope they will understand me and my decision.”
The U.S., the 2008 Olympic champion, finished fifth at the London Olympics and seventh at the World Championships in September.
If you missed it, @MattAnderson_1 big night led @usavolleyball past #Serbia at #FIVBMensWCH http://t.co/rkOnPsSV3l pic.twitter.com/QcmNujPILg
— Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) September 11, 2014
