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. Alongside playing for her own club, she trained weekly with other motivated young talents at high-performance volleyball academies under the guidance of professional trainers. She participated in several summer volleyball camps organised by  the Dutch Volleyball Association.

During the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons she played for Leython’s first women’s team, competing in the Dutch First Division. Besides training with her own team, she put in extra hours with the first women’s teams of Spaarnestad Haarlem and US Amsterdam, both Top Division level. With the US Amsterdam U20 team she claimed the bronze medal at the 2026 Dutch National Youth Championships. She currently trains with Next Volley Dordrecht, performing at Super Division level (second highest level in the Netherlands) and has committed to join their team for the 2026-2027 season. Beyond indoor volleyball, Tess has made her mark in beach volleyball, competing in both league play and various tournaments.

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)

Her international volleyball experience includes participating in NBC camps in Denver and Seattle, where she was named MVP and received awards for Superior Performance. For 3 consecutive years she took home medals from the United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria. In July 2025 she competed at the Global Challenge, a volleyball tournament in Pula, Croatia, where she will return in July 2026 as part of an international team.

Academically, Tess is currently enrolled in high school and expects to graduate in June 2027. After completing her bilingual general education, she transitioned into a specialized track focused on Physical Activity and Health. Through targeted internship placements she gained hands-on experience in facilitating adaptive sports for, among others, cardiac and Huntington’s disease patients, children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities and people living at homeless shelters, thus sharing her passion for sports to empower others. To complement her athletic drive, she spent June 2025 at the EF International Campus in Boston, achieving an advanced C1 proficiency in English. 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.