Meliha Diken | |
Birth Name: | Meliha Smajlović |
Birth Date: | 17 September 1993 |
Birth Place: | Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Weight: | 71kg (157lb) |
Position: | Spiker |
Currentclub: | Fenerbahçe |
Nationalteam: | Turkey |
Meliha İsmailoğlu Diken (born Meliha Smajlović, 17 September 1993 in Gradačac) is a Bosnian-Turkish volleyball player. She is 190cm (80inches) tall at 73kg (161lb). Currently, she plays for Fenerbahçe. İsmailoğlu is a member of the Turkey women's national volleyball team.
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. In 2009 and 2011, she was named "Player of the Year". In the summer time, she played also beach volleyball in Bosnia Herzegovina.
In 2011, İsmailoğlu was invited to Turkey by the Ankara-based İller Bankası. In May 2014, she signed with Fenerbahçe.
She transferred to Eczacıbaşı VitrA in 2017[1] and Vakıfbank in 2019.[2] Finally she returned to Fenerbahçe in 2021.[3]
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. She played at the 2014 Women's European Volleyball League that won the gold medal.
She represented Turkey at the qualification round for beach volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics.