GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Get to know outside hitter Carli Snyder in the 11th edition of our “Offseason Conversation” series with the Grand Rapids Rise. Snyder talks about her homecoming by signing with the Rise, insights gained by playing overseas in France, life outside volleyball, and much more.
When did coming back home to Michigan and playing for the Rise become a realistic opportunity?
During the inaugural season, I spoke with [Rise head coach] Cathy George a little bit and expressed some interest in coming back. But I also wasn’t completely ready to close the book on Europe and I wanted to play the Champions League one more season. I was still enjoying my experience there. But we had a really nice conversation and left the book open for the next year or the year after that, or whenever it would work out.
I have known Cathy and been recruited by Cathy since I was 14 years old. So, I have always had the idea that it would have been great to play for her. This opportunity became a reality last spring, and I got really excited about it.
Rise preseason training camp is just two weeks away. What’s the one thing you hope to accomplish in those first few days of practice?
Just getting some connections with my teammates and building some rapport there and having fun. The first few days are never the most beautiful volleyball that you are going to play all season. But we are hopefully going to have a lot of fun, get connected, and be excited to move our bodies and practice. We can get a feel for the coaching staff and what our goals are as a group. I’m looking forward to that.
Have you thought about what it’s going to feel like to have family and friends attending your matches on a regular basis again?
I have thought about that. So excited about it! I went to school in Florida, and I was lucky that my family came to a lot of matches while I was there and a lot of road games. But I did miss the opportunity to play in front of my friends and grandparents. So, I think this will be really special.
My 88-year-old grandmother lives like two hours away from Grand Rapids, and she has already booked her flight to the first game in Vegas. So, that’s very cool.
Any particular reason why she decided to fly out to Vegas?
It’s actually kind of crazy. My grandfather, who I was very, very close to, had a condo in Las Vegas that he stayed at during the winter. He liked to play blackjack and take in the warmer weather. My family still has the condo there, but my grandmother hasn’t been back since he passed away. She decided it was a nice, full-circle moment being that my grandfather isn’t here anymore, and he loved to watch me play. It’s the first game in Vegas, and she hasn’t been back to the condo. So, she decided to come to the game, with a lot of pressure from my mother, I’m sure.
What can Rise fans expect when they see Carli Snyder on the court?
A smile. I like to have fun while I play. One of the best things about playing professionally is that I have always had a good time going to practice. I always have fun playing, and I like being on a team. I feel like you can see that in the way that I play. While it’s my job now and there is an element of performance pressure and other real aspects of playing professional sports, I think you’ll be able to see that I enjoy playing the game and having fun with my teammates.
The best and worst part about playing six professional seasons in France?
The best part was getting to experience a new level. College volleyball is such a big deal in the United States, and it was my everything. But then I got to experience everything else that players bring to the table when playing international because they don’t have college volleyball. They start playing professionally much younger. That was really interesting and gave me a lot of respect for how much commitment other players were making, as they leave home much younger than we do. It’s also not the same luck that we have in college volleyball with all the money, all the gear, all the facilities. It was an interesting experience to see how the rest of the world plays volleyball and manages their careers.
The worst part was being dependent on the schedule, the time of year, and the coach in trying to figure out if you’ll have a Christmas break. Will it be two days or five days? Will you get to go home? Those things were usually last-minute conversations. So, there was stress in trying to figure out when I would be able to see my family again, especially when you are so far away.
In what ways do you feel you've grown as a player over the course of your career?
As an outside hitter, you have to get balls in less-than-perfect situations. I think when I was younger, I really wanted to play in-system volleyball. I liked playing low error. Obviously, nobody likes to make mistakes, but I think I have grown to understand that a certain level of risk is necessary to kill balls. You need to go for it even in less-ideal situations. To be a dependable person on offense, you have to be willing to give it your best try when it’s a difficult situation. As an outside, your team depends on you to do that. I think I have grown a lot in understanding that role that I have on the team.
As a six-year veteran, how do you approach mentorship and leadership within the team, especially for younger players who are just starting their professional careers?
That’s a good question. I have always been somebody who likes to lead by example. I think one of the best things you can show younger players is there are a lot of things you can do that have nothing to do with your volleyball skills but can help the team and build trust. Simple things like being at the gym on time and doing all the exercises we need to do before practice. There are a lot of things I have learned from the older players that had nothing to do with volleyball, and everything to do with being consistent and working hard.
What do you consider the most underrated skill in volleyball that often gets overlooked by fans but is crucial to success on the court?
Out-of-system setting from non-setters. When you are playing defense and there is a great scrabble play — someone hits a powerful ball, somebody gets a hand on it, and then a non-setter has to run off the court and bring the ball back on — and those people who can deliver a good high ball for the hitters to hit is such an enthusiastic energy builder. So much of the game is played out of system that if your team can set out of system it gives you a big advantage and makes it hard for your opponents to feel like they have any control in those moments. Building confidence out of system is such an important piece to the game.
Outside of volleyball, how do you spend your free time?
I do a lot of different things. I like to read. I love to write and hope I can publish a book one day. I garden. This summer has been fun because I got to see my garden, because I’m usually back in France at this time. I did a lot of fall planting. I like to hike. I love exercising in general outside of volleyball. I like being active and I have a bike that I take most places. I don’t think I’ll do that in Grand Rapids because it might be a little too cold for me to be riding to practice. But maybe in the spring I’ll bring it out and show everyone.
Lastly, in your opinion, what’s the most satisfying way to win a match point?
A block. I feel like that would be the most common answer because it feels like you really accomplished something. The least satisfying is like a way-out-of-bounds swing, and you feel like you didn’t do anything. Whereas a block you are like, ‘Yeah, we earned that.’
Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Rise