Volleyball Adds Transfer Ayhan for Fall of 2025
1/30/2025 5:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Head Coach Tim Nollan added another piece to his 2025 roster on Thursday, announcing the addition of graduate transfer Beste Ayhan for the upcoming season. Ayhan, a middle blocker, comes to Evanston from Bradley, and will join the 'Cats ahead of next fall.
"Beste is a great addition for us," said Nollan. "She is an impact middle blocker at the net that has experience and will be a pivotal piece for our team. I can't wait to get her in the practice gym."
During her senior season in Peoria, Ayhan led the Braves with 110 blocks in 114 sets of action, good for a 0.96 blocks-per-set average that ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference. On offense, the Istanbul, Turkey, native posted a team-high .267 attack percentage en route to 129 kills.
Prior to her time at Bradley, Ayhan's collegiate career began at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she set the single-season program record for blocks, with 144 during the 2021 fall season. The campaign culminated in America East All-Championship honors for Ayhan after she led the Retrievers to the conference title with a 3-2 victory over Albany. As a sophomore, she contributed seven blocks in the title game, then nearly matched that performance with five blocks in UMBC's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to No. 3 Pitt. Ayhan departed Baltimore County as the only player in Retriever history to post multiple double-digit block games in her career.
Following two seasons at UMBC, Ayhan spent one year at Florida International University, where she appeared in one game during the 2022 season.
"Joining the Northwestern family is truly a dream come true for me!" said Ayhan about the move to Evanston. "The team culture, high-level competition and outstanding academics make this the perfect place to challenge myself and grow both as an athlete and as a person. I've always dreamed of competing at the highest level while pursuing my master's education, and Northwestern gives me the best of both worlds. I can't wait to get to work, give my all to this program and create unforgettable moments with my teammates!"
Ayhan will join first-years Bella Bullington, Lauren Dignan and Kayla Kauffman as newcomers to Nollan's roster. Sophomore Campbell Paris joined the team this winter from South Carolina, and has already begun offseason work with the Wildcats.
"Beste is a great addition for us," said Nollan. "She is an impact middle blocker at the net that has experience and will be a pivotal piece for our team. I can't wait to get her in the practice gym."
During her senior season in Peoria, Ayhan led the Braves with 110 blocks in 114 sets of action, good for a 0.96 blocks-per-set average that ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference. On offense, the Istanbul, Turkey, native posted a team-high .267 attack percentage en route to 129 kills.
Prior to her time at Bradley, Ayhan's collegiate career began at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she set the single-season program record for blocks, with 144 during the 2021 fall season. The campaign culminated in America East All-Championship honors for Ayhan after she led the Retrievers to the conference title with a 3-2 victory over Albany. As a sophomore, she contributed seven blocks in the title game, then nearly matched that performance with five blocks in UMBC's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to No. 3 Pitt. Ayhan departed Baltimore County as the only player in Retriever history to post multiple double-digit block games in her career.
Following two seasons at UMBC, Ayhan spent one year at Florida International University, where she appeared in one game during the 2022 season.
"Joining the Northwestern family is truly a dream come true for me!" said Ayhan about the move to Evanston. "The team culture, high-level competition and outstanding academics make this the perfect place to challenge myself and grow both as an athlete and as a person. I've always dreamed of competing at the highest level while pursuing my master's education, and Northwestern gives me the best of both worlds. I can't wait to get to work, give my all to this program and create unforgettable moments with my teammates!"
Ayhan will join first-years Bella Bullington, Lauren Dignan and Kayla Kauffman as newcomers to Nollan's roster. Sophomore Campbell Paris joined the team this winter from South Carolina, and has already begun offseason work with the Wildcats.
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