KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's volleyball team has bolstered their roster with a pair of impact recruits prior to the 2024-25 season with the news that Maria Dancheva and Rida Erlalelitepe have committed to the 'Pack.
 
"Adding the experience and level of play that they bring obviously helps, but even more it's just adding two good people that want to be here to extend their education and they've been great additions to the team on and off the court," said WolfPack head coach Chad Grimm.
 
With over 20 years of volleyball experience between them, Dancheva and Erlalelitepe have played in Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Turkey while also suiting up for their respective national teams of Bulgaria and Tukey.
 
"We have a culture of international players playing for us and wanting to add that diversity to the mix of the team is important," said Grimm. "It's not always easy adding players that have totally different experiences and are at a different spot in their life and have different views on the game but that's real life. Sometimes we in varsity athletics live in a bubble where everyone is usually coming from a similar background and are of a similar age with same life experiences but then we head out into the real world without having had that diversity within our group so I like that it gives us some skills that are transferable after our players graduate."
 
Originally from Izmir, Turkey, Erlalelitepe is a 6-2 outside hitter that most recently played for 3 AS Çanakkale Municipality Sports Club in the Turkish Women's Volleyball 1st League.
 
"Rida is just smooth. She is a six-rotation player who passes well, defends well and has a good serve," said Grimm. "She brings good experience, is smart on the court and controls the ball well. I just think overall she's a calming influence because she's solid and stable, she's played at a high level. I think just adding that stability to the group will help us for sure."
 
With both of her parents being professional athletes, Erlalelitepe's path to the court started at a young age. After spending ten years in the top Turkish Women's Volleyball league, regarded as one of the best in the world, Erlalelitepe's decision to join TRU was spurred on by some former teammates. Former member of the 'Pack Seray Altay and current assistant coach Ezgi Dilik both used to play with Erlalelitepe and knew that TRU would be a good fit.
 
"After speaking with Ezgi who said that she was a great teammate and will be good in school, it made it interesting," said Grimm. "Having the connection between her, Seray and Ezgi - who have played with her before - it made it a good fit for her as well just knowing that she knows what she's getting into."
 
Already holding a Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration from Istanbul Bahcesehir University, Erlalelitepe plans to study psychology at TRU.
 
A product of Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, Dancheva is a talented 6-3 outside hitter that has a lot of versatility to her game.
 
"Maria is long and has played multiple positions," said Grimm. "She played for Bulgaria as a middle and has played as an opposite and left side, along with that she's played in different countries and in different systems so she's quite adaptable as well."
 
"She's been great as far as doing what it takes for the team, she's very motherly and we talked about that before she came, just what she was walking into. This is a younger team, it's different and she seemed excited about that, and she's shown that so far on and off the court. She's been a great addition and brings a little different dimension to the team as far as more physicality as well."
 
With stops in Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan and Kazakhstan, Dancheva is an experienced player that has also played for her hometown of Bulgaria internationally.
 
"She has seen a lot of different cultures, coaches and teammates," said Grimm. "She wants the girls to get better and I think that's the thing with these international players that are coming and have more experience, they know what it takes to play at that level so that's a great thing for our girls to experience."
 
Starting volleyball at the age of 13, Dancheva is looking forward to bringing her personality to the court for TRU.
 
"I like to bring energy, to have fun," said Dancheva. "However, I also have a very competitive personality that can come out and I can become really serious."
 
Dancheva plans to study computer science at TRU.
 
The WolfPack, bolstered by the additions of Dancheva and Erlalelitepe were recently picked fifth in the Canada West Coaches Pre-season poll and will begin their season on the road this weekend against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.
 
TRU plays their first home games of the season Nov. 1 – 2 inside the TCC.