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Meliha İsmailoğlu

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Meliha Diken
Personal information
BornMeliha Smajlović
(1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 (age 32)
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

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

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Clubs

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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

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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

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National team

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Club

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Individuals

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

See also

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References

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  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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