Tess started playing volleyball at the age of 10 at her local club, RVV in Katwijk. At 13, she made the move to Leython, a bigger club with stronger competition, to further develop her skills and challenge herself at a higher level. In addition to playing for her own club, she has joined several youth programs over the years, offering advanced training techniques, focussing on game intelligence and providing tournament experience.

Since the 2024-2025 season she plays for Leython’s first women’s team, competing in the Dutch First Division. In the 2024-2025 season, she also trained with the first women’s team of Spaarnestad Haarlem and in the 2025-2026 season she will train with the first women’s team of US Amsterdam, performing at the Top Division level. Tess is a strong and aggressive attacker who consistently puts pressure on opponents with her offensive skills. She is known for her positive mindset on the court. Her serve is also a valuable weapon, often scoring free points for her team.

Approach Touch:

• 9’8” attack reach height (one arm)
• 9’5” block reach height (two arms)
  
  

Beyond indoor volleyball, Tess has also competed in beach volleyball, playing in a league and several tournaments – winning one of them. Her international experience includes participating in two NBC volleyball camps in the U.S. (Denver and Seattle), where she was named MVP and received awards for Superior Performance. For 3 consecutive years she took home medals (2 gold and 1 silver) from the United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria. In July 2025 she competed at the Global Challenge, an international tournament in Pula, Croatia. 

Tess is focused on becoming a more well-rounded player, continuously working to refine her skills and make an impact in every aspect of the game.

Academically, Tess is currently enrolled in high school and expects to graduate in June 2027. Over the past years she has done various internships, including assisting (cardiac) patients at a physical rehabilitation centre, swimming with Huntington patients and supervising sports activities for people living in a homeless shelter. In the 2025-2026 academic year, she will join the physical education programme at a school for children with intellectual disabilities. She is also involved at Leython, giving training to young members and organising events and tournaments. In June 2025 she did a language course at the international EF campus in Boston to further improve her English,where she completed level C1. She is eager to continue her academic and athletic career in the U.S. 

For more information about Tess van der Borden, please feel free to contact our volleyball specialist, Ron Zwerver, at ron@slamstox.com.