Hande Baladın is a Turkish outside hitter for Fenerbahçe Medicana and the Türkiye women’s national team. Born on September 1, 1997, in Kütahya, she spent much of her development inside the Eczacıbaşı system, initially playing as a middle blocker before converting permanently to outside hitter in 2014. Her senior club career has included Eczacıbaşı, loan periods with Sarıyer Belediyespor and Galatasaray, and a move to Fenerbahçe in 2025.
Baladın has won the FIVB Club World Championship twice with Eczacıbaşı, in 2016 and 2023, as well as two CEV Cups. With Türkiye, she was part of the teams that won the Volleyball Nations League and European Championship in both 2023 and 2026, earned silver at the 2025 World Championship and reached the Olympic semifinals at Paris 2024. Long before those senior titles, she had already been named MVP and Best Outside Spiker at the 2017 FIVB U23 World Championship.
Player Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hande Baladın |
| Date of Birth | September 1, 1997 |
| Birthplace | Kütahya, Türkiye |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Position | Outside Hitter |
| Previous Position | Middle Blocker |
| Height | 190 cm |
| Weight | 78 kg |
| Spike Reach | 310 cm |
| Block Reach | 300 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Previous Clubs | Sarıyer Belediyespor, Eczacıbaşı, Galatasaray |
| Current Club | Fenerbahçe Medicana |
| Current League | Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi |
| Club Number | 7 |
| National Team | Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 7 |
| Olympic Appearances | Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 |
| Career Status | Active |
| @handebaladin |
Current Turkish Volleyball Federation roster data lists Baladın at 190 cm and 78 kg. CEV’s current club records use 189 cm, while Volleyball World competition profiles list 187 cm. For the main information table, the current federation measurement provides the most directly relevant national-team figure. CEV’s current Fenerbahçe roster lists a 310 cm spike reach and 300 cm block reach.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Baladın’s route into volleyball was not limited to one sport from childhood. In a 2021 interview with Red Bull, she recalled beginning with gymnastics and later swimming before playing volleyball at school. For a period she combined swimming and volleyball, but volleyball eventually became the discipline she chose to pursue seriously.
She grew up in İzmir before moving to Istanbul at a young age to develop her volleyball career. Baladın has described that move as difficult because it took her away from friends and familiar surroundings, but it also placed her inside one of Türkiye’s strongest development systems. She joined the Eczacıbaşı organization while still young and became part of its academy structure.
Her position was initially very different from the role for which she became known internationally. Baladın played middle blocker in youth volleyball and was good enough in that role to be named Best Blocker at the 2013 European youth championship.
Eczacıbaşı later experimented with moving her to the wing. The club’s 2018 player biography confirms that she had played as an outside hitter since 2014. Baladın herself has described the transition as difficult because she was training at outside hitter with her club while still appearing as a middle in parts of the national-team youth system.
The change ultimately suited her. In her Red Bull interview, Baladın explained that she preferred outside hitter and that she and her coaches came to see it as the better long-term position for her career. The switch required her to build reception and back-row responsibilities that had not been central to her work as a middle blocker, creating the broader skill set that would later define her senior game.
Club Career
Eczacıbaşı Academy and the Sarıyer Loan
Baladın’s long association with Eczacıbaşı began well before her senior debut. She developed in the club’s academy before spending the 2014–15 season on loan at Sarıyer Belediyespor.
The loan was a meaningful development step rather than a break from Eczacıbaşı. It gave her senior-level court time while she was still adapting from middle blocker to outside hitter. After the season at Sarıyer, she returned to Eczacıbaşı and entered the first-team setup for 2015–16.
Her timing was significant. Eczacıbaşı were already operating at the highest level of international club volleyball, meaning Baladın’s introduction to senior competition came inside a squad expected to compete for European and world titles.
First Eczacıbaşı Senior Period
Baladın’s first senior seasons quickly brought major trophies.
Eczacıbaşı won the 2016 FIVB Club World Championship, giving her a world club title early in her professional career. The team later took bronze in the 2017 CEV Champions League and won the 2018 CEV Cup.
Those seasons also coincided with Baladın’s emergence at international level. By 2017 she was no longer simply a promising academy graduate: she was simultaneously establishing herself as an outside hitter for Eczacıbaşı and producing award-winning performances for Türkiye’s U23 team.
Rather than remaining in the same club rotation indefinitely, she took another loan opportunity after the 2017–18 season.
Galatasaray Loan and Return
Baladın spent 2018–19 with Galatasaray on loan.
The move was designed to give her additional responsibility and playing experience. CEV’s historical record shows her wearing No. 10 for Galatasaray during the 2019 European competition cycle, compared with the No. 7 that became associated with most of her Eczacıbaşı career.
Eczacıbaşı announced her return for the 2019–20 season alongside Yasemin Güveli. The club’s return announcement described the Galatasaray season explicitly as a development loan.
From that point, Baladın remained with Eczacıbaşı for another six seasons.
A Long Second Eczacıbaşı Era
The second Eczacıbaşı period was the most substantial club phase of Baladın’s career.
She was part of the squad that won the 2019 Turkish Super Cup and the 2020 Champions Cup, then added another continental title when Eczacıbaşı captured the 2022 CEV Cup. CEV competition records from that campaign show Baladın contributing as a full outside hitter rather than a specialist, with attacking, blocking, serving and reception statistics all forming part of her role.
Eczacıbaşı reached the 2023 Champions League final against VakıfBank. Although the team finished runner-up, Baladın produced 15 points in the Super Final, making her the second-highest scorer for Eczacıbaşı behind Tijana Bošković.
The same calendar year ended with a larger trophy.
Eczacıbaşı won the 2023 FIVB Club World Championship in Hangzhou, defeating VakıfBank 3–2 in an all-Turkish final. Volleyball World’s championship report recorded Eczacıbaşı’s third world title as a club and Baladın’s second as a player.
By then, she had spent most of her playing life inside the same organization. Eczacıbaşı’s 2025 farewell described her club periods as 2009–2014, 2015–2018 and 2019–2025, reflecting both the academy years and the two senior spells separated by loans.
Leaving Eczacıbaşı for Fenerbahçe
The 2025 offseason produced the largest permanent club change of Baladın’s senior career.
Eczacıbaşı formally announced her departure on May 24, ending a relationship that had stretched across youth and senior volleyball. Days later, CEV confirmed her transfer to Fenerbahçe Medicana for the 2025–26 season.
The move was significant precisely because Baladın had spent so long within one system. In a 2025 Red Bull interview, she said that familiarity with teammates, systems and club dynamics had clear advantages, but that change could also provide a new perspective and another route for development.
She retained her familiar No. 7 at Fenerbahçe.
First Season with Fenerbahçe
Baladın’s first competitive trophy with Fenerbahçe arrived almost immediately.
On October 8, 2025, Fenerbahçe faced VakıfBank in the Turkish Super Cup. Baladın started at outside hitter as her new club recovered from a two-set deficit and won the match 3–2, taking the tie-break 18–16. The TVF match report confirmed her place in the starting lineup.
Fenerbahçe also challenged for the 2025–26 Sultanlar Ligi title. The championship series against VakıfBank went to a fifth match before VakıfBank prevailed, leaving Fenerbahçe as league runner-up.
In Europe, Fenerbahçe reached the Champions League quarterfinals against Savino Del Bene Scandicci. The Istanbul side won the second leg 3–1 after losing the first, forcing a Golden Set, but Scandicci took the decider 15–13.
Although that first season did not end with either the league or Champions League trophy, it established Baladın in a new club environment after more than a decade of Eczacıbaşı identity.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2014 | Eczacıbaşı Academy | Türkiye |
| 2014–2015 | Sarıyer Belediyespor — loan | Türkiye |
| 2015–2018 | Eczacıbaşı VitrA | Türkiye |
| 2018–2019 | Galatasaray — loan | Türkiye |
| 2019–2025 | Eczacıbaşı VitrA / Eczacıbaşı Dynavit | Türkiye |
| 2025–present | Fenerbahçe Medicana | Türkiye |
CEV’s current player history lists Baladın with Fenerbahçe for both the 2026 and 2027 European competition cycles, confirming that the move extends through the current 2026–27 season.
National Team Career
Youth Success and the 2017 U23 Breakthrough
Baladın’s national-team résumé began in Türkiye’s age-group system, where her unusual position development was already visible.
At the 2013 European youth championship she won bronze with Türkiye and received the Best Blocker award while still playing as a middle. Two years later, Türkiye took silver at the 2015 FIVB U23 World Championship.
Her most important youth-level tournament came in 2017.
Türkiye won the FIVB U23 World Championship, and Baladın was named both Most Valuable Player and Best Outside Spiker. The awards captured how far her position conversion had progressed: four years after being recognized as a blocker, she was now the tournament’s leading individual outside hitter.
TVF’s official Dream Team record lists Baladın as the 2017 U23 World Championship MVP alongside her Best Outside Spiker award.
Establishing a Senior National-Team Role
The same year brought Baladın’s first major senior medal as Türkiye won bronze at the 2017 European Championship.
Türkiye then reached the final of the inaugural Volleyball Nations League in 2018 and took silver. A second major silver followed at EuroVolley 2019.
By 2021, Baladın was an established part of the national-team outside-hitter group. Türkiye took bronze at both the Volleyball Nations League and European Championship, and she also made her first Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020, where Türkiye reached the quarterfinals.
Those results placed her within a generation that was consistently reaching international medal rounds but had not yet won a senior global or continental championship.
That changed in 2023.
The Historic 2023 Season
Türkiye entered 2023 with Daniele Santarelli as its new head coach and Melissa Vargas newly available for the national team. Baladın remained one of the established outside hitters in a lineup whose attacking structure was changing rapidly.
The season became the most successful in Türkiye women’s volleyball history to that point.
Türkiye won its first Volleyball Nations League title, defeating China 3–1 in the final in Arlington. Volleyball World’s championship report marked the victory as the program’s first VNL gold.
Less than two months later, Türkiye won its first European Championship. The final against Serbia went five sets before Türkiye prevailed 15–13 in the tie-break. Baladın was part of a championship roster that combined Vargas’s high-volume scoring with multiple two-way outside-hitter options.
The double title transformed Türkiye from a regular medal contender into the No. 1-ranked women’s national team during that season.
Paris 2024 and a Two-Way Role
Baladın made her second Olympic appearance at Paris 2024, where her value was visible in both scoring and reception.
Volleyball World recorded 46 points in six matches, including 37 attack points, five blocks and four aces. Her most productive knockout performance came in Türkiye’s quarterfinal victory over China, where she scored 13 points.
Reception showed another side of her tournament.
Paris statistics credited Baladın with 73 successful receptions, the fourth-highest total among all players at the Games. Her Olympic reception numbers placed her alongside specialist passers and other elite six-rotation outsides.
Türkiye defeated China to reach the Olympic semifinals for the first time. Losses to Italy and Brazil then left the team fourth, its best Olympic finish to that point.
For Baladın, Paris reinforced that her contribution was not simply measured by kill totals. She was carrying a meaningful part of Türkiye’s serve-reception structure while also remaining an attacking option.
2025 World Championship Silver
Türkiye reached another program milestone at the 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship in Thailand.
Baladın was selected as one of the team’s outside hitters and appeared during the knockout stage, including as a substitute in both the semifinal against Japan and the final against Italy.
Türkiye defeated Japan 3–1 to reach the first World Championship final in national-team history. Italy then won the gold-medal match 3–2 after a five-set battle.
The result gave Türkiye its first World Championship medal. The TVF final report lists Baladın among the players used in the championship match.
The silver added another different major-event medal to a senior career that already included VNL and EuroVolley podium finishes.
2026 VNL: A Major Finals Contribution
Baladın’s 2026 VNL campaign provided some of the clearest recent evidence of her complete outside-hitter game.
Volleyball World recorded 84 points in 11 matches, made up of 75 attack points, five blocks and four aces. Her listed attack efficiency across the tournament was 41.67%.
Her impact increased in the Finals.
Across the knockout stage she scored 44 points, the sixth-highest total of the Finals, and converted 39 attack points at a listed 53.42% attacking success rate. She also ranked second in the Finals reception table for successful receptions.
The gold-medal match against Brazil was one of her strongest matches of the season.
Türkiye lost the opening set but recovered to win 3–1. Vargas led the scoring, while Baladın added 19 points — 17 in attack, one block and one ace. Volleyball World’s final report highlighted Baladın and İlkin Aydın as the two outside hitters supplementing Vargas’s 33-point performance.
Türkiye therefore won its second VNL championship, three years after the first.
Back-to-Back European Champion in 2026
A few weeks later, Türkiye hosted the decisive stage of EuroVolley 2026 in Istanbul.
Baladın remained a starting outside hitter through the knockout phase. In the round of 16 against Azerbaijan she produced 10 kills from 25 attacks while handling 24 receptions. During the group-stage loss to Poland, she had scored 15 points with 13 kills and two blocks.
Türkiye then reached another European final against Italy.
Baladın started the championship match and again carried a substantial reception load. CEV’s official final match page lists her with seven winning spikes and the highest perfect-reception percentage of the match at 39%.
Türkiye came back from a set down twice and won the fifth set 15–10.
The victory made Baladın a two-time European champion, following the 2023 title, and secured Türkiye direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Playing Style & Strengths
Baladın’s development from middle blocker to outside hitter is central to understanding her game. She did not enter senior volleyball as a lifelong passer who gradually added offense; she had to build the reception, back-row movement and wing-attacking responsibilities required by a completely different position.
That history is visible in her current profile.
She is a genuine two-way outside hitter who can remain on court through both front-row and back-row rotations. At Paris 2024, Baladın ranked fourth among all players in successful receptions while also contributing 46 points. During the 2026 VNL Finals, she combined 39 attack points with the second-highest successful-reception total of the final phase.
Her attacking game is based more on range and timing than on being Türkiye’s primary high-ball volume scorer. With Vargas carrying a large share of the emergency and right-side offense, Baladın can attack from the left while also helping stabilize first contact. The balance was especially visible during the 2026 VNL final: she scored 19 points without needing to become the offense’s exclusive focal point.
Baladın’s size also remains relevant. At roughly 189–190 cm with a listed 310 cm spike reach, she gives Türkiye and Fenerbahçe a relatively large outside hitter who can challenge high blocks and contribute at the net defensively.
Her earlier middle-blocker background has given her additional experience reading opposing attackers and working around the net. It would be too simple to attribute her current blocking entirely to her youth position, but her career does provide unusually broad positional exposure for a senior outside hitter.
The reception side of her game is just as important. CEV’s 2026 EuroVolley final statistics show Baladın handling a significant part of Italy’s service pressure and finishing with the best perfect-reception percentage in the match. That responsibility helps explain why coaches can use her next to more attack-oriented outside hitters without sacrificing the stability of the first contact.
Baladın has also spoken positively about the value of playing multiple positions. In her 2025 Red Bull interview, she said the different responsibilities helped her understand the game from more than one perspective and communicate better with teammates.
Her role is therefore not best summarized by one scoring metric. Baladın’s value comes from combining enough offense to punish single blocks with the reception volume, back-row work and net presence required from a six-rotation outside hitter.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CEV U18 European Championship | Bronze |
| 2015 | FIVB U23 World Championship | Silver |
| 2017 | FIVB U23 World Championship | Gold |
| 2017 | CEV European Championship | Bronze |
| 2018 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver |
| 2019 | CEV European Championship | Silver |
| 2021 | Volleyball Nations League | Bronze |
| 2021 | CEV European Championship | Bronze |
| 2023 | Volleyball Nations League | Gold |
| 2023 | CEV European Championship | Gold |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Fourth place |
| 2025 | FIVB Women’s World Championship | Silver |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Gold |
| 2026 | CEV European Championship | Gold |
The 2023 and 2026 seasons each ended with Türkiye winning both the VNL and EuroVolley, while the 2025 World Championship silver was the first medal in that competition for the senior women’s national team.
Selected Club Honors
| Year / Season | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | FIVB Club World Championship | Winner | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2016–17 | CEV Champions League | Bronze | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2017–18 | CEV Cup | Winner | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2019 | Turkish Super Cup | Winner | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2019 | FIVB Club World Championship | Runner-up | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2020 | Turkish Super Cup | Winner | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |
| 2021–22 | CEV Cup | Winner | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2022 | FIVB Club World Championship | Bronze | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2022–23 | CEV Champions League | Runner-up | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2023 | FIVB Club World Championship | Winner | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2025 | Turkish Super Cup | Winner | Fenerbahçe Medicana |
| 2025–26 | Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi | Runner-up | Fenerbahçe Medicana |
Eczacıbaşı’s 2025 farewell to Baladın specifically highlighted the 2016 and 2023 Club World Championships, the 2018 and 2022 CEV Cups and the club’s domestic Super Cup successes from her long tenure.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CEV U18 European Championship | Best Blocker |
| 2017 | FIVB U23 World Championship | Most Valuable Player |
| 2017 | FIVB U23 World Championship | Best Outside Spiker |
The two 2017 U23 awards remain particularly important because they came after Baladın’s conversion from middle blocker to outside hitter. Türkiye won the tournament, while Baladın finished it with both the MVP and positional award.
Off the Court
Baladın has been a Red Bull athlete since 2021, and the partnership has produced substantially more than standard sponsorship material.
Red Bull developed the feature-length BALADIN documentary around her career, presenting not only match footage and sporting results but also the psychological and personal side of elite volleyball. In her 2025 interview about the project, Baladın said the documentary gave viewers a chance to see the lifestyle and mental side of her career rather than only her on-court performance.
She has also spoken openly about the mental demands of professional sport. In her earlier Red Bull interview, Baladın described mental preparation as an essential part of her seasonal work and said that match experience — including both victories and defeats — had helped her become stronger psychologically.
Music is another recurring part of her life away from the court. She has described it as important to her motivation and has spoken about enjoying time with family and friends when the volleyball calendar allows.
Her public athlete profiles also identify partnerships with Red Bull and adidas, while her social channels reflect both her club and national-team career.
Where Is Hande Baladın Playing Now?
As of October 23, 2026, Hande Baladın plays for Fenerbahçe Medicana in Türkiye’s Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi and wears No. 7.
Her transfer from Eczacıbaşı was completed in June 2025. She won the Turkish Super Cup during her first season with Fenerbahçe, helped the club reach the five-match Sultanlar Ligi championship series and competed in the Champions League quarterfinals.
CEV’s current database lists Baladın with Fenerbahçe for the 2027 European Cups, confirming that she remains part of the squad for 2026–27.
She is also an active member of the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team, wearing No. 7. Her most recent international season ended with two major titles: Türkiye won the 2026 Volleyball Nations League in July and successfully defended its European Championship in September.
Those championships also extended Baladın’s Olympic trajectory. Türkiye’s EuroVolley victory secured direct qualification for Los Angeles 2028, where she could make a third Olympic appearance if selected.
Recent Performance Snapshot
2026 Volleyball Nations League
| Statistic | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 11 |
| Total Points | 84 |
| Attack Points | 75 |
| Attack Efficiency | 41.67% |
| Block Points | 5 |
| Serve Points | 4 |
| Points in Final vs. Brazil | 19 |
| Team Result | Gold |
Baladın’s overall VNL 2026 player statistics show a balanced scoring contribution rather than the extreme volume assigned to Melissa Vargas.
Her level increased during the Finals. Baladın scored 44 points over the knockout phase and ranked fifth among Finals attackers with 39 successful attacks at a 53.42% success rate. She also ranked second in the Finals reception table for successful receptions.
In the gold-medal match against Brazil she produced 17 kills, one block and one ace for 19 points, helping Türkiye win 3–1.
EuroVolley 2026 Final
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Opponent | Italy |
| Match Result | Türkiye 3–2 Italy |
| Starting Role | Outside Hitter |
| Winning Spikes | 7 |
| Perfect Reception | 39% |
| Team Result | Gold |
The final illustrated Baladın’s two-way role especially well. She did not need to match Vargas’s scoring volume, but she remained part of the starting attack while taking substantial responsibility in reception.
Türkiye’s five-set victory gave Baladın her second European Championship gold and qualified the team for LA28.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games
| Statistic | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 6 |
| Total Points | 46 |
| Attack Points | 37 |
| Block Points | 5 |
| Serve Points | 4 |
| Successful Receptions | 73 |
| Team Result | Fourth place |
Her Olympic numbers show why Baladın’s profile cannot be reduced to attacking alone. She was fourth among all players in successful receptions while still providing points across attack, block and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Hande Baladın?
Hande Baladın was born on September 1, 1997.
Where was Hande Baladın born?
Baladın was born in Kütahya, Türkiye, and spent important parts of her youth in İzmir before moving to Istanbul for volleyball development.
How tall is Hande Baladın?
The Turkish Volleyball Federation currently lists her at 190 cm. Current CEV records use 189 cm, while Volleyball World competition profiles list 187 cm.
What position does Hande Baladın play?
Baladın plays as an outside hitter. She began her development as a middle blocker before moving permanently to outside hitter in 2014.
Which club does Hande Baladın play for?
She plays for Fenerbahçe Medicana and wears No. 7. She joined the club from Eczacıbaşı ahead of the 2025–26 season.
How many Olympic Games has Hande Baladın played in?
Baladın has appeared at two Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
What is Hande Baladın’s Instagram?
Her official Instagram account is @handebaladin.
References
- Türkiye Volleyball Federation — Women’s National Team Roster
- CEV — Hande Baladın Current Fenerbahçe Player Record
- CEV — Hande Baladın Confirmed as New Fenerbahçe Player
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — Thank You Hande
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — Hande Baladın Contract and Career Profile
- Red Bull — Hande Baladın Career Interview
- Red Bull — Hande Baladın on Fenerbahçe, Development and BALADIN
- Volleyball World — Türkiye Wins Its First VNL Title in 2023
- Volleyball World — Türkiye Wins EuroVolley 2023
- Volleyball World — Eczacıbaşı Wins the 2023 Club World Championship
- Volleyball World — Hande Baladın Paris 2024 Player Statistics
- Türkiye Volleyball Federation — Türkiye Wins 2025 World Championship Silver
- Volleyball World — Hande Baladın VNL 2026 Player Statistics
- Volleyball World — Türkiye Wins the 2026 VNL
- Türkiye Volleyball Federation — Türkiye Wins EuroVolley 2026
- CEV — Türkiye vs. Italy EuroVolley 2026 Final Match Record
- Türkiye Volleyball Federation — Fenerbahçe Wins the 2025 Turkish Super Cup
