Coach Adam Hughes was perplexed when he noticed several wrapped packages in the Maryland volleyball locker room this year.
Freshman Duru Gökçen, who had recently joined the program, brought fresh Turkish coffee and her own coffee maker to brew the caffeinated drink for Hughes and her teammates.
Gökçen has since become a key first-year for the Terps more than 5,000 miles from her hometown in Istanbul, Turkey. From participating in team gaming sessions to going on shopping sprees and sightseeing around the East coast, she’s found a sense of family at Maryland.
“They never left me alone since the first day,” Gökçen said.
Gökçen grew up in a sports household — her mom is a physical education teacher and her dad played basketball. They inspired Gökçen to pick up volleyball when she was seven years old, when she’d play with her mother before joining small clubs.
As she improved, Gökçen worked her way to bigger teams such as the VakifBank Sports Club and Fenerbahce Sports Club.
During her final season in Turkey, Gökçen’s favorite memory was when her team — mostly made up of 18-year-olds — advanced to the semifinals of a tournament filled with experienced teams.
Gökçen’s relationship with her coaches deepened during that final season in Turkey, boosting her self-belief.
“I always felt like I would be out of the court on my first mistake … but in my last year, [my coach] gave me so much confidence,” Gökçen said. “All of my coaches from last year, they helped me become a player.”
[Maryland volleyball’s tumble continues in straight set loss to Illinois]
Gökçen has thought about playing collegiate volleyball in the United States since high school. If she pursued the sport in Turkey, she likely wouldn’t have been able to attend a university because most students choose one or the other.
She said she wanted to continue playing, but also wanted a backup plan in case it didn’t work out or if she got an injury.
Gökçen sent her highlights to schools across the United States, which got responses from multiple programs. Maryland flew its operations director, Kyle Thompson, to Turkey to have dinner with Gökçen and her parents after watching a match.
That stood out to Gökçen. Other programs only met with her through Zoom.
“When I see that he comes there and watches just one single game, for an 11-hour flight, that’s important,” Gökçen said. “If they care that much, I think this is a really good option for me.”
After speaking with the coaching staff, Gökçen committed to Maryland. There was discussion about her redshirting this season, meaning she would stay in school for five years to gain another year of playing eligibility, but Gökçen affirmed her belief in a four-year education plan.
One reason for that was to return to Turkey after graduating, where her parents still live.
As an only child, Gökçen grew up close with them. She said her parents were sad at the prospect of her leaving Turkey, but excited that their daughter was attending a college like Maryland.
Gökçen frequently calls her parents to stay close while they’re apart.
“I see their eyes, I’m sure that when we close the phone that they’re going to cry,” Gökçen said. “But I also see them, and when they see me so happy, they’re so happy too.”
[Maryland volleyball drops third straight match in 3-0 loss to No. 16 USC]
New Life at Maryland
Gökçen only met coaches before she made it to Maryland’s campus. She felt nervous on how she would fit in with her teammates, especially since her English wasn’t particularly strong yet.
Those nerves were quickly alleviated.
Hughes started helping Gökçen right away because she arrived before most of her teammates. He helped her set up bank accounts and introduced her to his family.
When Gökçen’s teammates arrived, they took her shopping for dorm supplies and sightseeing in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Now, she continues bonding with her teammates through Among Us gaming sessions, which the Terps play frequently before and after practices, team dinners and scouting report meetings.
“Sometimes they just send the code to the group chat at night when I’m doing homework,” Gökçen said. “It makes a really funny environment because everyone’s screaming in the bus or in the hotel.”
But the transition to Maryland hasn’t been completely smooth. Gökçen has had to navigate time-management challenges between school and volleyball.
On the court, Gökçen’s faced communication barriers. She came to Maryland knowing English after taking high school classes in the language, and she’s made strides since joining the team, but the Terps’ distinct sets have led to newfound challenges.
“We had the translation problem where our sets are three-feet apart and seven-feet apart, and she would look at us like ‘What is seven feet?’” Hughes said.
Gökçen’s tenacious work ethic has helped overcome those obstacles. Graduate student Samantha Schnitta has seen the freshman voluntarily sign up for extra workouts to help improve her speed and agility.
The veteran’s sturdy presence has helped Gökçen maintain confidence, especially after Schnitta encouraged her with uplifting words after Gökçen made a mistake on the court.
“She really comes in and is willing to work with each and every one of us,” Schnitta said. “To see her grow from the first week of practice to now has just been amazing.”
Gökçen has appeared in two non-conference matches this season, recording two kills versus Alabama A&M and notching a four-kill performance against Delaware State.
Hughes believes her impact will soon grow.
Gökçen is focused on doing as much extra work as possible to prepare for next season, when she hopes to play a larger role for the team. But just her journey to this point — attending college as a student-athlete in a new country — has impressed Hughes.
“You have to have a certain mindset to want to go across the globe, to try something completely different, academically challenge yourself, and just immerse yourself,” Hughes said. “We’re really thankful she chose to come here to Maryland.”
