The only ball used was mikasa, all the gear in the 90s was mikasa
Mikasa has been making water polo balls for 5 decades so letās not say they are just a volleyball company. Iām pretty sure it has always been the ball used at the Olympics over the past 40 plus years and probably all fina competitions. Kap7 is a newer company in comparison. Do they make a better ball? Maybe? Probably? I think itās what the last generation is used to playing with. Sounds like it was a bad idea but Iām sure Mikasa paid well to get the ball switch. Now clubs should adjust accordingly
Yes throughout my time playing we always used Mikasa balls. On very rare occasions there would be a Baden that no one liked.
Kap7 balls are just the old Mikasa ball with a bit extra grip when theyāre brand new.
Mikasa could, presumably, very easily switch back to their old design and maintain their contact if they get enough negative feedback about the new design.
Every coach I spoke to said they didnāt know until the start of the tournament that theyād be using them. Only saw one team with the new design Mikasas as their warmup balls. Didnāt speak to that coach though, so I have no idea if he knew ahead of time.
I believe I said volleyball is their primary, not only.
Your original post asked what their reputation is in water polo. Iām giving you the history. Kap7 started in 2004. I wasnāt around the sport during that time, so I have no idea how quickly they were able to integrate the ball into the sport. Before they came around I only remember using Mikasa balls. It was all I knew and I liked them. I do think the Mikasa ball design changed at some point and remember complaints about it in international competition
Baden. 
Just the worst
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āOn very rare occasions there would be a Baden that no one liked.ā
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Why not publicly announce the official game ball and provide teams with ample time to prepare before the tournament? There were significantly more complaints than usual regarding the slipperiness of the balls. This incident yet another unfortunate occurrence involving the USAWP!
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To be fair, they did. They issued a press release eight months ago naming Mikasa, and specifically the WP550 series ball as the ball to be used through 2028.
The frogskin Mikasa balls have been used in all official USAWP events since then, notably ODP. If your club had kids who participated in ODP, they used the Mikasa balls.
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Quality issues aside, Mikasa balls are $10-$20 more than Kap7 balls (and currently sold out). So the switch is a tax of $100++ per year per club. If USAWP isnāt getting a 6 figure sponsorship fee, this switch is value destroying, and a transfer from clubs to USAWP regardless.
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The price increase is a tough pill to swallow, and at least in Southern California, Iām not sure a switch to Mikasa makes sense for clubs. Most of the tournaments and leagues are still using Kap7. If I were a club director, my ball bins this year would continue to be filled with Kap7 balls. I would probably have my coaches mention to the kids and parents that some events, including ODP, would use the Mikasa balls and it might be a good idea for them to have one to practice with. Then in the week of practice leading up to one of these events, Iād have the kids bring in their Mikasa balls for the team to practice with.
In doing that, Iād save costs, have my team accustomed to the Kap7 balls theyād be using most of the time, and be able to tap into parents to get my kids used to Mikasa before the rare events that used them.
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Good idea Marco. The cost is a lot considering clubs would still want to carry Kap7 calls since the majority of the time that is what will be used. For the couple of weekends a year of Mikasa, that would be a lot of double buying. Considering all the sizes and amount to run practice, it is not practical for many clubs to have double the balls. Your solution makes sense.
Unpopular opinion: after practicing with the new mikasa for over a year I am a big fan. When you keep it dry it is a shot enhancer and feels very light. I also noticed they had great durability and lasted much longer than the kap7, which I notice degrade heavily after just a couple weeks.
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On that topic, I caution everyone not to keep Kap7 balls in your car on even semi-warm days. It destroys them. I had one lot of 6 balls at the start of this season and 1 of them inadvertently got left in a car for a couple weeks. The other 5 were stored in the dark at room temperature. When the rogue ball was discovered in the car, we added it back to the bunch but the difference in grip was crazy. The car ball, stored badly for 2 weeks, had less grip than balls that had been used and properly stored from the previous season.
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With several months of use, I have one additional piece of feedback: They donāt hold air.
The leakiest Kap7 balls I have need to be reinflated every 12 weeks. Most go 24 weeks, and some will go all 48 without needing to be re-aired. I have a half dozen size 4 frogskin Mikasas, and all of them need to be topped off every 3-4 weeks.
Donāt know if this has been mentioned, but allegedly these balls will be used in the NCAA Tournament this yearā¦
Itās so funny because I was just about to come on here and give the opposite opinion 
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Iāve had Kap7 balls deflate in a week. The Mikasa balls we used have been holding up and looking good.