Meliha İsmailoğlu

Meliha Diken
Personal information
BornMeliha Smajlović
(1993-09-17) 17 September 1993
Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight71 kg (157 lb)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside Hitter
Current clubLOVB Madison
Career
YearsTeams
  • 2001–2011
  • 2011–2014
  • 2014–2017
  • 2017-2019
  • 2019-2021
  • 2021–2025
  • 2025–2026
  • 2026-
National team
2014-2025Turkey Turkey
Honours
Women's volleyball
Representing Turkey
European Championship
Silver medal – second place2019 TurkeyTeam
Bronze medal – third place2021 Serbia/Bulgaria/Croatia/RomaniaTeam
FIVB Nations League
Silver medal – second place2018 NanjingTeam
Bronze medal – third place2021 RiminiTeam
European Games
Gold medal – first place2015 BakuTeam
Islamic Solidarity Games
Silver medal – second place2017 BakuTeam
Montreux Volley Masters
Gold medal – first place2015 MontreuxTeam
Women's U23 World Championship
Silver medal – second place2015 AnkaraTeam
Women's European Volleyball League
Gold medal – first place2014 Germany/TurkeyTeam

Meliha İsmailoğlu Diken (born Meliha Smajlović, 17 September 1993 in Gradačac) is a Bosnian-Turkish volleyball player.[1] She is 190 cm (6.2 ft) tall at 73 kg (161 lb). Currently, she plays for Fenerbahçe. İsmailoğlu is a member of the Turkey women's national volleyball team.

Career

Clubs

The daughter of a former basketball player, she too aspired to become a basketball player. However, due to lack of a women's basketball team in her hometown, she chose playing volleyball. She began her sports career at the age of eight in the club Kula Gradacac in her hometown.[2] In 2009 and 2011, she was named "Player of the Year".[3] In the summer time, she played also beach volleyball in Bosnia Herzegovina.[2][4]

In 2011, İsmailoğlu was invited to Turkey by the Ankara-based İller Bankası.[5] In May 2014, she signed with Fenerbahçe.[4][6][7]

She transferred to Eczacıbaşı VitrA in 2017[8] and Vakıfbank in 2019.[9] Finally she returned to Fenerbahçe in 2021.[10]

In 2025, it was announced that Meliha would leave Fenerbaçhe to return to Eczacıbaşı for the 2025/2026 season [11].

League One Volleyball or known as LOVB, announced Meliha Diken is the first Turkish player to join LOVB Pro [12] for the 2027 season[13].

National team

İsmailoğlu was a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina youth and juniors national teams. Her double citizenship enabled her to opt in playing for the Turkey women's national volleyball team.[5] She played at the 2014 Women's European Volleyball League that won the gold medal.[4][14]

She represented Turkey at the qualification round for beach volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[4][5][15]

İsmailoğlu competed for Turkey at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Olympics.[16]

In 2026, the President of TVF, gifted Diken a plaque and her jersey number as a thank you for her time with the national time. Meliha Diken officially announced her retirement from the national team on June 22 [17]

Awards

National team

Club

Individuals

  • Player of the Year – 2009 and 2011 in Bosnia and Herzegovina

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Turci "ukrali" mlade talente iz BiH, a dobili vrhunske zvezde: Adis Lagumdžija glavni adut, Mirza čeka šansu". mozzartsport.com (in Serbian). 12 September 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Meliha İsmailoğlu ile yapılan özel röportaj sizlerle". Voleybol Magazin (in Turkish). 1 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "Meliha İsmailoğlu" (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü. Retrieved 22 July 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 "İsmailoğlu: 'F.Bahçe ile hayallerimi...'". Spor X (in Turkish). 19 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Röportaj: Meliha İsmailoğlu". Spor 365 (in Turkish). 21 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Gengönül, Burak (3 May 2014). "Meliha İsmailoğlu Fenerbahçe'de". Voleybol Extra (in Turkish). Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Fenerbahçe'den iki transfer daha!". Milliyet (in Turkish). 22 June 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  8. ↑ "Meliha İsmailoğlu Eczacıbaşı'nda".
  9. ↑ "Ailemize hoş geldin Meliha". Vakifbanksporkulubu.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Yeniden hoş geldin Meliha İsmailoğlu - Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü". Fenerbahce.org. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  11. ↑ https://www.eczacibasisporkulubu.org.tr/en/news/welcome-back-meliha-diken
  12. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/DZFyasXG59E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
  13. ↑ https://voleybolunsesi.com/lovbde-forma-giyecek-ilk-turk-meliha-diken/
  14. ↑ Yücekök, Murat Mert (19 July 2014). "'Gözde Yılmaz: 3 aydır bugün için çalışıyorduk". Voleybol Extra (in Turkish). Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "Plajda Kadınlarla Kazandık". Manşet Haber (in Turkish). 23 June 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "DIKEN Meliha". Paris 2024 Olympics. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024.
  17. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ4zxzhjSEj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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