GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise have made their first signing for the upcoming 2025 Pro Volleyball Federation season by adding outside hitter Carli Snyder, a native of Macomb, Michigan. Snyder, a seasoned professional, returns to Michigan after six seasons in France.
“Signing with the Grand Rapids Rise feels like my volleyball career coming full circle back to the place where I fell in love with the game,” Snyder said. “I am so very excited to return to my home state and put in the work with the team and staff to win a championship.”
Snyder was named the best outside hitter in the French Ligue A twice, with ASPTT Mulhouse Volley-Ball (2019-20) and Volley-Ball Nantes (2020-21). She was also awarded best outside hitter and best server in the French Cup in 2022-23 with RC Cannes. Snyder played this past season with Volley Mulhouse Alsace and finished in third place in the French Ligue A for the third time during her career and was also the runner-up in the French Cup for a third time as well. She also has a pair of French Cup semifinal appearances and was a WEVZA Cup finalist during the 2022-23 season.
Prior to going overseas, Snyder was a three-time AVCA All-American at the University of Florida. The 6-foot-1 versatile attacker was a two-time All-SEC selection and helped the Gators win the conference championship three times, in 2017, 2016, and 2014. Florida reached the 2017 NCAA National Championship match but fell 3-1 to Nebraska by set scores of 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-16. Snyder had a team-high 11 kills and 15 digs in the defeat.
Snyder finished her four-year collegiate career at Florida with 1,207 kills (2.90 kills per set) off a .253 hitting percentage, 948 digs (2.28), 164 blocks (0.40), and 90 aces (0.22) in 122 matches played (416 sets). She had seven 20-point matches during her senior season, including two in the NCAA Tournament against UCLA and Stanford. Snyder finished with 3,338 career attack attempts, the eighth-most in the program’s history. She graduated in 2018 with a degree in International Studies.
A prep and club standout at Dakota High School and Michigan Elite, Snyder was a four-time All-Michigan First Team selection, a two-time Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year (2012-13, 2013-14), and the 2013 Miss Michigan Volleyball selection. Dakota, led by Snyder, swept Temperance Bedford to win the 2012 Class A State Championship. She ended her career prep with 2,703 kills, 1,851 digs, and 491 aces – all of which are Dakota school records.
Snyder also gained valuable international experience by playing with the United State volleyball junior and youth national teams. She was a part of the junior team that won the European Global Challenge in 2015 and the 2012 youth team that won the NORCECA Continental Championships, where she was also named the MVP of the tournament.
Additional Rise player acquisition announcements will follow throughout the month of July. The signing period for previous Pro Volleyball Federation players opened on June 30.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is the present and future of professional volleyball in North America. The League began play in January 2024 with world-class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players joined by elite standouts from around the world. Seven teams took the court in the first season, with 10 teams scheduled for the 2025 campaign. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players and the entire fan experience is world class and the best offered anywhere. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
ABOUT THE GRAND RAPIDS RISE
Founded in December 2022 as the first Pro Volleyball Federation franchise, the Grand Rapids Rise made their debut at Van Andel Arena on Jan. 25, 2024. Led by longtime Michigan State and Western Michigan head coach Cathy George, the Rise reached the championship match during their inaugural season. The team is operated by DP Fox Sports & Entertainment and owned by Dan DeVos, who is also co-owner and CEO of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Visit grrise.com for more information.
Photo by MacKenzie Meyer/University of Florida