15 Tallest Female Volleyball Players in the World (2026)

The average elite female volleyball player stands around 183 cm (6 feet). That’s already well above the general population. But some players blow well past that — by a foot or more.

This list ranks the 15 tallest female volleyball players in the world, drawn from the Women Volleybox database of 162,000+ registered players, cross-referenced with FIVB official rosters and Guinness records. All players here have competed at the professional, college, or national team level.

1. Rumeysa Gelgi — 215 cm (7’0.7”) | Turkey | Middle Blocker

Rumeysa Gelgi holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest living woman on the planet. She was born with Weaver Syndrome, a rare condition causing exceptional skeletal growth, and was officially measured at 215.16 cm. She plays volleyball at the Turkish club level and is also a web developer and disability advocate. No female volleyball player in any official database comes close to her height.

2. Elanur Tiryakioğlu — 213 cm (6’11.9”) | Turkey | Middle Blocker

Born in November 2011, Elanur Tiryakioğlu is one of the most extraordinary young athletes in any sport — she’s already 213 cm tall at just 14 years old. She competes as a middle blocker in the Turkish volleyball system. Her blocking reach at this age already rivals what most professional players peak at. Turkey has consistently produced the world’s tallest female volleyball players, and Tiryakioğlu looks like the next to break records.

3. Miranda Weber — 211 cm (6’11.1”) | Canada | Middle Blocker

Miranda Weber grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, in a family built for basketball — her mother played at Washington State and stands 6’8”. Weber played college volleyball at American University, where she became one of the tallest female collegiate athletes in North America. In a 2018 interview with CBC, she said she’d learned to own her height: “I’m really proud of who I have become.” Her blocking reach exceeds 2.85 meters.

4. Maci Currin — 208 cm (6’10”) | USA | Middle Blocker

Maci Currin is not just one of the tallest volleyball players — she holds a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest legs (female), verified at 135.3 cm (left leg) and 134.3 cm (right leg). Born in 2003 in Cedar Park, Texas, she played college volleyball at Long Beach State as a middle blocker. Her legs alone account for roughly 60% of her total height — an extreme proportion that creates exceptional blocking and spike reach.

5. Nelly Alisheva — 208 cm (6’10”) | Russia | Middle Blocker

Nelly Alisheva is the tallest female player to have competed at the highest professional club level in Russia. In 2013, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized her as the tallest woman in Russia. She spent her peak years at Dinamo Moscow (2003–2011), winning multiple national titles, then moved to Omitchka and VK Proton before retiring in 2019. Her spike reach reached 319 cm — one of the highest ever officially measured for a female volleyball player.

6. Alba Hernandez — 207 cm (6’9.5”) | Puerto Rico | Middle Blocker

Alba Hernandez is currently the tallest active female player competing at the professional club level. She was the tallest player at the 2022 FIVB Women’s World Championship per official FIVB roster data. Born in 1994, she plays for Criollas de Caguas in Puerto Rico and earned Best Middle Blocker at the NORCECA Challenger Cup Qualification in 2024. Her blocking reach of 2.93 m and spike reach of 3.05 m make attacking directly over her almost impossible.

7. Merete Lutz — 206 cm (6’9.1”) | USA | Opposite Hitter

Merete Lutz was one of the most dominant offensive players in American college volleyball history. She played opposite hitter at Stanford and became the 18th player ever to record 1,000 kills in NCAA women’s volleyball. She went on to play professionally in Italy, finishing her career with Megabox Ondulati Del Savio Vallefoglia before retiring. A 6’9” opposite hitter who generated steep attack angles that shorter defenders simply cannot cover — she was a nightmare matchup.

8. Anna Kajalina — 205 cm (6’8.9”) | Estonia | Opposite Hitter

Estonia’s Anna Kajalina built a two-decade professional career on the strength of her 205 cm frame, playing across 10+ clubs in Italy, France, and beyond. She made her professional debut in 2005 and won the French women’s club championship while at Saint-Raphaël Var Volley-Ball. She currently plays for Municipal Olympique Mougins in France. A 6’9” opposite hitter from a small Baltic nation competing against the world’s best is a remarkable story on its own.

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9. Ekaterina Gamova — 202 cm (6’8”) | Russia | Opposite Hitter

Ekaterina Gamova is one of the greatest female volleyball players in history. At 202 cm with a spike reach of 350 cm and a block reach of 330 cm, she was nearly impossible to attack over. She won two FIVB World Championship gold medals with Russia (2006 and 2010), three European Championship golds, and multiple World Grand Prix titles. The FIVB called her “still standing tall” even in retirement. She is the benchmark for what extreme height plus elite skill can produce.

10. Dana Rettke — 204 cm (6’8.3”) | USA | Middle Blocker

Dana Rettke is one of the greatest middle blockers in NCAA history. She starred at the University of Wisconsin, earning five AVCA First Team All-American honors — a record — along with Big Ten Player of the Year and NCAA Championship MVP. She represented the USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and now plays professionally at Eczacibasi Dynavit in Turkey. At just 27, she’s arguably still in her prime. Her blocking discipline, not just her reach, is what makes her exceptional.

11. Yuan Xinyue — 203 cm (6’8”) | China | Middle Blocker

Yuan Xinyue is the tallest player in the history of Chinese women’s volleyball. Her spike reach of 325 cm and block reach of 315 cm helped her become the anchor of one of China’s most dominant generations. She won Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Games and FIVB World Cup gold in 2015 and 2019. Commentators describe her as “just there, here, there, and everywhere” at the net — her size forces tactical errors from opposing teams before the ball is even set.

12. Magdalena Stysiak — 203 cm (6’8”) | Poland | Opposite Hitter

Magdalena Stysiak is one of the best active players in women’s volleyball today. Born in 2000, she already has multiple Best Scorer awards at major international tournaments. What stands out is her precision — coaches note she wins rallies not through raw power, but through corner targeting and back-court placement that taller blockers can’t adjust to in time. She currently plays for Fenerbahçe Opet in Turkey’s Sultanlar Ligi, one of the most competitive clubs in Europe.

13. Valentina Diouf — 201 cm (6’7.2”) | Italy | Opposite Hitter

Valentina Diouf was one of Italy’s most dominant volleyball players throughout the 2010s. In 2017, she was named MVP of the CEV Champions League — one of the biggest individual honors in club volleyball. She has won Best Spiker, Best Opposite, and Best Scorer awards across multiple leagues, including Poland’s TAURON Liga. She currently plays for ŁKS Commercecon Łódź. Her combination of reach and spike placement has made her one of the most decorated tall players of her generation.

14. Brayelin Martinez — 201 cm (6’7.2”) | Dominican Republic | Outside Hitter

Brayelin Martinez stands out not just for her height, but for her position — outside hitter is rarely occupied by players over 200 cm. Born in 1996, she’s a two-time Pan American Games champion and has accumulated over 37 individual career awards. In 2023, she earned Best Outside Hitter at three separate tournaments in the same year. She currently plays for Dinamo-Ak Bars and ranks among the top 50 female volleyball players globally. Height at this position creates match-up problems nobody can prepare for.

15. Zehra Güneş — 198 cm (6’6”) | Turkey | Middle Blocker

Zehra Güneş is one of the most recognizable faces in women’s volleyball today. Born in 1999, she plays for VakıfBank Istanbul — one of the most decorated club programs in the world — and is a cornerstone of the Turkish national team. She’s known for explosive blocks, quick-set attacks, and an athleticism unusual for players at her height. Turkey has built Güneş into the face of women’s volleyball for the next decade, and she’s already living up to that billing.

Height by the Numbers

The average height across all players at the 2022 FIVB Women’s World Championship was 182.78 cm — meaning the players on this list stand anywhere from 15 to 32 cm above that baseline.

Height has the strongest correlation with blocking points: taller teams score more points via blocks (R² = 0.35). But here’s the thing — team height had almost no correlation with final championship standings (R² = 0.12). Japan, one of the shortest teams at the tournament, finished near China, one of the tallest.

That tells you everything: height opens doors, but it doesn’t win matches on its own. Every player on this list pairs their physical gifts with serious technical work. That’s the real story.

The players on this list represent a range of countries, playing styles, and career paths — but they share one thing. They turned what could have been an awkward physical trait into one of the most powerful tools in team sports. The next generation of tall teenage girls watching them might just follow the same path.