Zeynep Palabiyik

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Class:
Junior
Position:
Libero/DS
Height:
5-4
High School:
Enka Schools
Hometown:
Istanbul, Turkey
Major:
Undecided

PRONUNCIATION

HONORS & AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten (2024)
Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team (2025)

FEATURE STORIES
Gopher Spotlight

2025 • JUNIOR SEASON:
Tore her ACL on Aug. 31 against St. Thomas and will miss the 2025 season • will medical redshirt • in four starts, averaged 3.73 digs, 0.20 aces and 0.93 assists per set • went for 15 digs in the opener vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (Aug. 25) • totaled 18 digs and seven assists vs. Cal Poly (Aug. 29) • went for 15 digs and two assists vs. Ball State (Aug. 29) • eight digs and two aces vs. UST (Aug. 31).

2024 • SOPHOMORE SEASON:
Started in all 32 matches, leading the team with 3.86 digs per set • tallied 1.32 assists and 0.14 aces per set • posted nine matches with 20-or-more digs • totaled 12 digs and four assists vs. No. 5 Stanford (Sept. 1) • posted a then career-high 22 digs with six assists and a kill in an upset of No. 1 Texas (Sept. 2) • went for a career-best 29 digs at No. 23 Baylor (Sept. 6) • had 24 digs and three assists vs. TCU (Sept. 7) • had 20 digs vs. UST (Sept. 10) • tallied 14 digs and five assists vs. Auburn (Sept. 13) • totaled 20 digs and four assists in a sweep over Green Bay (Sept. 19) • had 10 digs vs. UND with five assists (Sept. 20) • tallied 24 digs and season-highs in assists (6) and aces (2) vs. Wisconsin (Sept. 25) • had 10 digs against Indiana and 11 against Maryland (Oct. 11/12) • had a kill, 11 digs vs. NU (Oct. 23) • totaled an ace an 15 digs at OSU (Oct. 27) • posted nine digs and tied her career-high with two aces at MSU (Nov. 1) • had a career-high nine assists with 12 digs vs. UW (Nov. 7) • had 14 digs vs. UO (Nov. 9) • went for 20 digs at NU (Nov. 14) • had her first double-double with 14 digs, 13 assists vs. UM (Nov. 17) • 22 digs at Wisconsin (Nov. 20) • 14 digs, two aces at Illinois (Nov. 27) • 21 digs, 10 assists vs. OSU (Nov. 29) • had 18 digs, seven assists and an ace in the NCAA Tournament vs. WKU (Dec. 5) • went for 15 digs and seven assists at Kentucky (Dec. 6).

2023 • FRESHMAN SEASON:
Played in 20 matches (69 sets) as a freshman in 2023, averaging 1.12 digs, 0.28 assists and 0.13 aces per set • Palabiyik made her Gophers debut with six digs vs. HPU (Sep. 14) • had two aces at Maryland (Oct. 6) • tallied an ace vs. Northwestern (Oct. 15) • had an assist, ace and three digs at Ohio State (Nov. 3) • had an ace and three digs at NU (Nov. 5) • set her career-highs in digs against Purdue (Nov. 10) and Indiana (Nov. 12) • tallied her first career kill and had a career-best 11 digs vs. Iowa (Nov. 17) • had an assist and seven digs vs. Illinois (Nov. 24) • had six digs and a kill against No. 1 Nebraska (Nov. 25) • had four digs and two assists in the NCAA Tournament vs. Utah State (Dec. 1) • had eight digs and five assists at Creighton (Dec. 2).

HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB:
Palabiyik last played for the U21 Turkish national team, who is competing for a spot to play in the European championship • she played for Besiktas Ceylan (Istanbul, Turkey) for the 2022-23 season, helping the team to a 1 League title • in 2021-22, Palapiyik competed for Eczacibasi Dynavit, leading the team to a Cev Cup championship • the club also finished in third place in the Sultans League, the highest professional volleyball league in Turkey • from 2020-23, she played for the Eczacibasi Sports Club Juniors Team • during her second season there, the team finished second in the U20 Turkish Championship before winning the title during the 2022-23 season.

PERSONAL:
The daughter of Figen and Murat Palabiyik, she also has a younger sister, Defne • she's undecided on her major at Minnesota.

WHY MINNESOTA:
"The reason why I chose the University of Minnesota is because it is a high level, both academically and athletically. The winning culture and passion of the team and fans matches my ambitious personality. I also felt very comfortable and safe when I met the staff. I can't wait to live in a place that is different from where I'm from, but still feels like family."