Tulsa transfer Dilara Gedikoglu could be Arizona volleyball’s next elite hitter
Share this story
Dilara Gedikoglu, the reigning American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.
The Turk was No. 3 in the AAC in kills (488) and kills per set (4.10) last season, displaying great power in her first year in the United States. Coming from Galatasaray, one of the top clubs in Turkey, made the transition to college easy for her.
Well, mostly.
The volleyball part came naturally, but the language barrier and frigid Oklahoma winters tested her resolve at times. As did the local cuisine.
“I don’t like American food because it’s a lot of like fatty stuff and junk food, and in Turkey it’s more about fresh foods,” said Gedikoglu, whose English is better than serviceable. “I think that’s one of the things I really missed because when I first came here I gained a lot (of weight), which is not good.”