Meliha İsmailoğlu

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]

National team

• 2014 Women's European Volleyball League – Gold medal
• 2014 Grand Prix finals – 4th place
• 2015 Montreux Volley Masters – Gold medal
• 2015 European Games – Gold medal
• 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's U23 World Championship – Silver medal
• 2018 Nations League – Silver Medal
• 2019 European Championship – Silver Medal
• 2021 Nations League – Bronze Medal
• 2021 European Championship – Bronze Medal

Club

• 2014 Turkish Super Cup – Runner-Up, with Fenerbahçe Grundig
• 2014–15 Turkish Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Grundig
• 2014–15 Turkish Women's Volleyball League – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Grundig
• 2015-2016 Turkish cup – Champion, with Fenerbahce Grundig
• 2015-2016 CEV Champions League – Bronze medal, with Fenerbahce Grundig
• 2016–17 Turkish Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe
• 2016–17 Turkish Volleyball League – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Grundig
• 2019 FIVB Club World Championship – Bronze medal, with VakıfBank
• 2020 Turkish Super Cup – Runner-Up, with Vakıfbank
• 2020–21 Turkish Cup – Champion, with Vakıfbank
• 2020–21 Turkish Women's Volleyball League – Champion, with Vakıfbank
• 2020-21 CEV Champions League – Silver Medal, with Vakıfbank
• 2021–22 Turkish Super Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Opet
• 2022-2023 CEV Champions League – Bronze medal, with Fenerbahce Grundig
• 2022–23 Turkish Volleyball League – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Opet
• 2023-2024 CEV Champions League – Bronze medal, with Fenerbahce Grundig
• 2023–24 Turkish Volleyball Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Opet
• 2023–24 Turkish Volleyball League – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Opet
• 2024 Turkish Super Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Medicana
• 2024–25 Turkish Volleyball Cup – Champion, with Fenerbahçe Medicana

Individuals

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