After achieving professional success in Europe, Michigan native Carli Snyder has returned home to compete and grow in new ways.
Story by Alex Eisen / Photo by Nicolas Carrillo
Prologue: A Return to Her Roots
Carli Snyder’s story is a testament to persistence, adaptability, and embracing life’s evolving chapters. After six years abroad, Snyder is back in Michigan to play professionally for the Grand Rapids Rise — a homecoming to the state where it all began.
Back on familiar soil, Snyder has found balance by nurturing her passions off the court, from cultivating a native plant garden to pouring her thoughts into writing.
Yet, at her core, she remains the fierce competitor who has excelled at every level of volleyball, bringing that same drive to this next chapter in her career.
Chapter One: A Love Affair with Volleyball
Snyder's volleyball journey began in her backyard in Macomb, Michigan, where she and her older sister, Kelsey, created their own quirky rules to make the game more interesting. They challenged themselves by playing right-handed only, shrinking the court, or coming up with any idea that could turn casual play into a fun and creative experience.
At 11 years old, Snyder joined her first club volleyball team at Michigan Elite after spending practices on the sidelines watching her sister play. She passed the time by bumping a ball against the wall, always ready and eager to step in whenever a player was absent.
“I was obsessed,” she admitted. “I’d petition for five-hour practices and begged my parents to put up the volleyball court in our backyard so I could play even in the winter, wearing gloves to keep warm.”
By high school, Snyder had established herself as a standout outside hitter, earning First Team All-State honors as a freshman and every year thereafter. She led Dakota High School to a state championship and was named the 2012 Gatorade Michigan State Volleyball Player of the Year. The following year, she repeated the honor and was also crowned 2013 Miss Michigan Volleyball.
Yet, Snyder approached her early accolades with humility.
“For me, volleyball was always about having fun,” she said. “I was so competitive that the nerves of playing never really got to me. I wanted to be serving on match point. I think part of that was just being a talented kid, maybe, and trusting myself, which of course gets harder as the competition gets better. I just really love playing.”
Snyder grew up in a competitive family in which both of her parents, Bill and Sheila, were coaches. Her mother, a former tennis coach turned sponsored pickleball player and coach, is usually the undisputed No. 1 seed for the family’s annual ping-pong tournament.
“She’s convinced she’s the better athlete, even though I’m playing professional sports,” Snyder laughed. “We played tennis every day during COVID, and I didn’t win once. She hits no-look shots in Spikeball. She’s kind of crazy for a 60-year-old.”
Despite the friendly rivalry, Snyder doesn’t hesitate to seize any possible advantage.
“If I can get leverage, I have no problem crushing her,” she said. “Maybe when she’s 70 or 80, I’ll feel bad about slamming a ping-pong ball at her. But not yet. She needs to go down.”
Her siblings, Kelsey and Cale, brought their own strengths to the family’s competitive spirit. Kelsey played collegiate volleyball at Ohio Dominican, while Cale was a Michigan high school state champion pole vaulter. Together, they fostered an environment where striving to be the best was both natural and celebrated. Even when things didn’t always go as planned.
“I remember moving all the valuables out of the living room and we played dodgeball,” Snyder said. “My sister and I would pepper in our living room. We broke a wedding vase once. My parents were a little bit upset, but mostly happy that we wanted to play. We never had video games or anything like that. If you want to play, well, we have a ping-pong table. We just had fun.”
Chapter Two: Through the Gator Swamp
The recruiting process opened a new world of possibilities for Snyder. Letters started arriving when she was in seventh grade, with Michigan State — at the time coached by Rise head coach Cathy George — being among the early pursuers. Ultimately, she chose the University of Florida.
“I wanted to do something different,” Snyder explained. “Maybe if I was a Florida kid, I think the chances of me going to Michigan or Michigan State would have been much higher.”
Her transition to college volleyball wasn’t seamless. Like many freshmen, Snyder faced challenges adapting to the faster pace, higher expectations, and not being perfect.
“There was a huge learning curve,” she said. “I had to overcome the mindset that mistakes equaled failure, mistrust, or judgment. In practice, mistakes are essential for growth. You need to try new things to improve, even if it means temporarily getting worse while you learn to implement them.
“I think Florida did a great job of highlighting my strengths and encouraging me to use them while also introducing new tools to make me less predictable.”
By her sophomore year, Snyder had cemented herself as a key player for the Gators, blending her raw talent with the technical polish that the program demanded.
Over four seasons at Florida (2014–2017), Snyder amassed 1,207 kills (2.90 per set), 948 digs (2.28 per set), 164 blocks (0.40 per set), and 90 aces (0.15 per set) across 122 matches (416 sets). A three-time AVCA All-American from 2015–17, she helped the Gators reach two Regional Finals and the 2017 NCAA National Championship match.
In Florida’s second finals appearance in the program’s history, Snyder recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs to conclude her college career. Despite her efforts, the Gators fell to powerhouse Nebraska by set scores of 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-16.
Life moved on.
Chapter Three: Overseas Adventures
After graduating with a degree in international relations, Snyder briefly considered leaving volleyball to pursue nonprofit work.
“I thought about working for an NGO or changing the world in some way,” she said.
But her competitive spirit and love for the game kept her on the court.
Snyder’s professional career took her to France, where she played for six seasons (2018–24) with four different teams: ASPTT Mulhouse Volley-Ball, Volley-Ball Nantes, and RC Cannes.
Continuing to rack up kills, digs, and aces as a six-rotation player, Snyder was named the Best Outside Hitter in the French League A with both Mulhouse (2019–20) and Nantes (2020–21). She was also awarded Best Outside Hitter and Best Server at the 2022–23 French Cup with RC Cannes.
Living abroad also came with its own challenges, from language and cultural barriers to a world-wide pandemic to the occasional scheduling mishap.
“One time my mom and grandma came over to visit and I messed up the schedule,” Snyder said. “I was like, ‘Oh, we're going to Poland tomorrow.’ And luckily, my grandmother is Polish and speaks Polish. But, on a day's notice, they flew to Poland, rented a car, drove to this random village in the middle of Poland, and made it work.”
Visits were rare, but they were always unforgettable.
“My fiancé [Jesse] proposed to me overseas last year,” Snyder said. “Came to France on a planned visit and he proposed to me in Switzerland. Then, a month later, he flew over just to surprise me. He called me and told me to turn around. I was just on the street, and he was there. He probably didn’t get the reaction he wanted because my brain just melted. I couldn’t even comprehend it.”
These cherished memories were always bittersweet, though, as every visit eventually came to an end. Friends and family would return home, leaving behind a sense of longing.
To ease the loneliness of being far from home, Snyder went to great lengths to adopt Mystic, her beloved Maine Coon cat.
"I wrote a whole essay about Mystic," Snyder said. "She’s a wonder."
Mystic’s adoption story is its own chronicle. Snyder found her in Nice, France, where a shady operation was breeding Maine Coons in a small two-bedroom apartment. Mystic was being rehomed for what seemed like a bargain of 200 euros.
“They didn’t want to breed her because of her health issues, but I didn’t know that at the time,” Snyder explained. Having never owned a cat before, she quickly found herself navigating the challenges of pet care. “Mystic was sleeping like 23 and a half hours a day, and I thought something was wrong. I took her to a vet in France, who told me, ‘She was normal. Do not worry.’ But I knew something was off.”
Once back in the U.S., Snyder discovered Mystic had a host of health issues, including stomatitis, a dental condition that required a $3,500 surgery to remove her teeth.
"She’s not so cheap anymore," Snyder joked. “But I fell in love with her. She’s my baby and goes everywhere with me. We are two peas in a pod.”
Mystic also deals with anxiety, megacolon, and hyperthyroidism. Despite it all, under Snyder’s care, Mystic stays by her side.
When asked what initially drew her to Mystic, Snyder smiled. "I was looking for a cat with a passport so I could bring her back to the U.S. When I saw her photo — a grainy, black-and-white shot where she looked like a grumpy war criminal — I just knew she needed help. I had to get her."
So, she did.
Chapter Four: Cultivating Home, Garden, and Stories
Returning to Michigan is more than just volleyball and being surrounded by family again for Snyder. It’s also a chance to nurture her passion for gardening and creativity. Her front yard, once a simple patch of grass, is being transformed into a native plant garden, designed to attract pollinators.
“I killed all the grass with cardboard and mulch, waited a year, and then planted native plants,” Snyder said. “Now, I have hummingbirds and bumblebees.”
Gardening brings Snyder back to her childhood, when both her mother and grandmother were avid gardeners.
“As a kid, I swore I’d never pull a weed as an adult,” Snyder laughed. “Now, I’m spending my Saturdays pulling weeds, and it just feels right.”
Her garden, though modest at 15-by-20 feet, brings her joy.
“First they sleep, then they creep, then they leap,” Snyder said, quoting nursery advice. “I’m still waiting on mine to leap, but I love watching the pollinators and birds enjoy it.”
Snyder also has a passion for writing. Inspired by authors like David Sedaris and Joan Didion, she maintains a journal and crafts non-fiction essays reflecting on her life and experiences.
“I’ve enjoyed writing since I was a kid,” Snyder said. “I think it's important to tell kids they're good at things, because I remember someone telling me in like second grade that I was a good writer, and I’ve carried that with me.”
The lives of the individuals she encounters deeply influence Snyder’s writing.
“I’m always inspired by interesting people who are making the most of their situation,” she said. “People do really interesting things all the time.”
Although she often feels like an observer, life has a way of pulling her into the action and making her feel like the main character in her own story.
“I think the theme of my essays is like a character who bites off a little more than she can chew, and what follows next is more humor and being willing to go with it,” Snyder said. “And I think I have that skill, just going with it and seeing what happens next.”
Epilogue: Up Next
Joining the Rise marks the beginning of a fresh chapter for Snyder.
Whether serving an ace, tending to her garden, or penning personal essays, Snyder’s roots remain strong, keeping her grounded as she continues to smile and reach for new heights.