NOTEBOOK
Priddy eyes return eam star
was injured by elbow in practice
Aug. 15 at the American Sports Centers in Ana- heim, the U.S. Men’s National Team captain knew the injury was serious. What Priddy didn’t know is just how serious things would get before they got better. Priddy, 34, is expected to be on the U.S.
W
Men’s roster when they begin their fi rst attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games at the FIVB World Cup held Nov. 20 to Dec. 4 in Japan.
The team qualifi ed for World Cup by fi nish- ing second at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship held Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 in Puerto Rico. Priddy didn’t play in that tournament due to the injury. “We were on the same side of the net and we were going for a block on the outside,” Priddy said. “It’s one of those things that hap- pens a lot. Momentum carries you into the other guy. We were in a position where his elbow hit the left side of my face perfectly.” In pain, Priddy left the court and consulted
with Aaron Brock, USA Volleyball’s director of sports medicine and performance, who sent him to the hospital. However, there wasn’t much that could be done for Priddy at that point other than help ease the pain. “None of the ear, nose and throat guys or the plastic surgeons will operate until the swell- ing has gone down,” Priddy said. “The waiting was diffi cult. It felt like, ‘let’s get in there and fi x this thing.’’ For Priddy, a native of Richmond, Va., who lives in Southern California, fi nding surgeons who would understand his concerns as an athlete was critical. He went with Dr. Robert Andrews, a specialist in otolaryngology, and Dr. Cynthia Boxrud, an ophthalmologist and plastic surgeon, both out of Santa Monica, Calif. “They understand that I am an athlete. They have been incredible,” Priddy said. Priddy had his initial surgery on Aug. 27.
The surgical team made an incision under his eyelid and another in his mouth and used two titanium plates to piece the bones back together where they could. Another area was left to heal on its own.
Following the surgery in Santa Monica, Priddy went to a hotel to recuperate with his wife, Lindsay, and son Caden, who turned 1 in September. Two hours after the surgery, Priddy’s eye began fi lling with blood due to a ruptured artery. The bleeding was behind the ocular nerve and was disrupting Priddy’s vision.
10 | VOLLEYBALLUSA
hen a teammate accidentally elbowed Reid Priddy in the face during practice on
for FIVB World Cup U.S. Men’s National T
READY TO RETURN: U.S. outside hitter Reid Priddy hopes to be healthy by the FIVB World Cup.
He was rushed back to the hospital’s emergency room where doctors did all they could to relieve the swelling and stop the bleeding. “The whole thing was something you see
on TV,” he said. “I’m on an ER bed that doesn’t even fi t me. They start booking an operating room to cauterize the bleeding, but eventually it stopped on its own.”
Since then, Priddy has had to have more blood drained from his eye. Doctors have told him it could take up to six months for all the swelling to go away.
But after about four weeks away from the court, and workouts in general, Priddy was ready to get back to volleyball. The weekend of Sept. 23, he traveled to Detroit to see Jeremy Murray of the Michigan Hand & Sports Rehab Centers, who is famous for creating masks for NBA and NHL stars, to get a special mask made to protect the part of his face around his eye. On Sept. 29, he traveled to Russia to re-join his professional club team, Zenit Kazan.
“I’m a little nervous,” he admitted. “Usually when I take a break from volleyball, I’m still active. This time, I was down for the count for four weeks.”
But Priddy knows he has a strong support system in place should he need it. “My wife (Lindsay) has been the MVP and has been phenomenal. She has been really strong and taken great care of me,” he said. “My mom fl ew out to help take care of Caden. Dr. Chris Koutures (team doctor) and Aaron Brock have been great point men.” As for playing in the World Cup, Priddy
feels confi dent that he and the team will be ready to compete and try to fi nish on the podium, which would qualify the team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. “I thought August was a good month.
We have made great strides as a team,” Priddy said. “We have set the goal of fi nishing in the top three (at World Cup) and that has not changed.”
PHOTO: DON LIEBIG
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