GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Rise announced Monday the signing of setter Madi Bugg, a 2024 CEV Champions League and Italian Serie A1 champion; opposite hitter Carly DeHoog (duh‐HOAG), a former Swedish League Best Scorer; and middle blocker Tessa Polder, a 13-year veteran and former Netherlands international.
Additional details on the latest signings are below:
Madi Bugg, S
A veteran 6-foot setter with a decade of professional experience, Bugg joins the Rise after spending last season with LOVB Salt Lake, where she recorded 207 assists and 60 digs in limited action behind Olympic gold medalist setter Jordyn Poulter. She also played for LOVB Atlanta in 2025 and previously competed in Europe with clubs in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy and Poland.
Bugg has compiled an accomplished overseas portfolio, highlighted by a 2023-24 campaign with Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley Conegliano that included titles in the CEV Champions League, Italian Serie A1, Italian Cup and Italian Supercup. She was named the French Saforelle Power 6 Best Setter in 2021 after leading ASPTT Mulhouse to league and French Cup championships, and previously helped Allianz MTV Stuttgart win the Bundesliga title in 2019 and Dresdner SC 1898 capture the German Cup in 2018.
At Stanford from 2012-15, Bugg was a three-time AVCA All-American and three-time Pac-12 Setter of the Year, finishing her career ranked second in program history with 5,014 assists and eighth with 121 service aces. She also earned Best Setter honors while helping the United States win gold at the 2010 NORCECA U18 Championship.
“I have so many connections to this team and Michigan already,” Bugg said. “My mom played and coached against [Rise head coach] Cathy George. I have played with Carli [Snyder] in France, and she’s my best friend. I’ve also played with and against Tessa Polder for years, have known Morgan [Hentz] since she took her official visit to Stanford when I played there, and competed against Carly DeHoog in our college days as well.
“I have a good chunk of family in Michigan as well, and one of my cousins lives in Grand Rapids. In many ways, this choice felt like the place that life was leading me, somewhere new but surrounded by people I have known forever. I’m so ready to get to work and have a great season!”
Carly DeHoog, OPP
The 6-foot-3 left-handed opposite hitter from Ontario, California, joins the Rise after competing with LOVB Atlanta during the 2026 season, when she totaled 31 kills, 12 digs, six blocks and an ace in a reserve role. DeHoog enters her ninth professional season after previous stops with LOVB Austin, Itas Trentino in Italy, Racing Club de Cannes in France, BKS Stal Bielsko-Biała in Poland, and Örebro VBS in Sweden.
During her professional career, DeHoog won a LOVB title with Austin in 2025 and helped Itas Trentino finish second in Italian Serie A2 and earn promotion to Serie A1. She also had a runner-up finish in the 2022 French Cup with Racing Club de Cannes and a standout 2018-19 season with Örebro VBS, as she was honored as the Swedish Cup Best Scorer and Best Opposite, and was named the Swedish League’s Best Opposite.
At the University of Washington, DeHoog earned AVCA Third Team All-America honors and All-Pac-12 recognition as a senior in 2017 after leading the Huskies in kills and helping them win the Pac-12 title. Washington reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2015 and 2016. She finished her four-year college career with 520 kills (.306), 182 blocks and 73 digs across 80 matches (227 sets).
“I could not be more excited about signing for the Rise,” DeHoog said. “When I talked to coach Cathy George about the team she was building for this upcoming season, how she wanted to fit all the pieces together, and the culture she wanted to have in the gym, I knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of. I’m looking forward to being in Grand Rapids, competing for a championship, and working hard with the group we have coming together this season.”
Tessa Polder, MB
The 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands, joins the Rise for her first professional season in the United States and 14th overall, after competing with Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud in France during the 2025-26 campaign. Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud played in the CEV Champions League last season and finished runner-up in both the Saforelle Power 6 and French Supercup. Polder is the first Rise player from the Netherlands and brings experience from top leagues in France, Italy, Germany, and her home country.
Internationally, Polder helped the Dutch national team capture a silver medal at the 2017 European Championships after sweeping favorite Italy in the quarterfinals. She was also on the Netherlands squad at the 2022 and 2018 FIVB World Championship and participated in three Volleyball Nations Leagues (2018, 2019, 2022).
Over the course of her career, Polder has won French league and French Cup titles in back-to-back seasons with ASPTT Mulhouse in 2020-21 and Volero Le Cannet in 2021-22, and also captured the 2018-19 German Cup and Supercup with SSC Palmberg Schwerin. Her 2021-22 season with Volero Le Cannet was especially impressive, as she earned league honors including MVP, Best Middle Blocker, and Best Spiker, while also being recognized as the French Cup’s Best Spiker.
“What made signing with the Rise the right fit for me is the opportunity to take on a completely new challenge,” Polder said. “I’m super excited for the big adventure in America. The competition and sports culture are very different compared to Europe, so I’m really curious and excited to experience that.”
Additional roster announcements will be made throughout the offseason as the Rise continue assembling their roster for their fourth season, which begins in January 2027.
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL
Major League Volleyball, entering its fourth season in 2027, is the longest-running formal professional volleyball league in the United States. Designed to elevate the sport through world class competition, commercial innovation, and cultural relevance, MLV brings together elite athletes, visionary leadership and global ambition. With alignment to USA Volleyball and a commitment to Olympic development, MLV serves as the premier pathway from professional play to the world stage. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
ABOUT THE GRAND RAPIDS RISE
The Grand Rapids Rise made their debut in January 2024 and have completed three seasons as members of Major League Volleyball. Led by longtime Michigan State and Western Michigan head coach Cathy George, the Rise reached the championship match during their inaugural season and rank among the top U.S. women’s pro volleyball teams in attendance. The team is operated by DP Fox Sports & Entertainment and owned by Dan DeVos, who is also majority owner and CEO of the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins and minority owner of Athletic Club Grand Rapids, which will begin play in MLS NEXT Pro in 2027. Visit grrise.com for more information.