Cinel reflects on her time with Hofstra volleyball

Yagmur “Yami” Cinel chose to spend the rest of her college career at Hofstra University because of how special it was to play volleyball under head coach Emily Mansur as well as the Hofstra name. But a bitter ending for the Pride in the 2023 season put things into perspective for Cinel's final season.

“When I started college, all the seniors would tell me, ‘I remember when I was a freshman, and now I'm a senior. The time goes by that fast.’ I never believed it, but now I do understand it,” Cinel said. “I remember when I was a freshman like it was yesterday, and now I'm graduating.”

It was only a couple of months ago when Cinel and her teammates were preparing for their season with high hopes of reaching a Coastal Athletic Association title, and it very much looked like the Pride could reach the championships early on. However, midseason woes caught up to the team, causing them to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

“Honestly, we had a lot of hope,” Cinel said. “We started the season pretty good, but then things didn’t go well. It wasn’t the best season for us; it was a little bit tough and a little bit unexpected.”

Cinel, one of the Pride's leaders, came out the gate with her eyes on the prize until a midseason injury to her hand limited her playing time. Despite that, she still gave it all she had.

“At some point, you don’t care, especially when you’re a senior; you just want to play and you just want to win,” Cinel said. “I didn’t care because being a senior is a different feeling. There was no way I couldn't put my 100% into playing. That was my mindset at the beginning of the season and throughout. Nothing was more important than volleyball.”

That mindset for Cinel was one of her strongest attributes in her career at Hofstra. Cinel broke multiple personal records, with 19 kills in a single game and 287 total kills this season. She surpassed last season's mark by more than 40. Cinel’s presence on the court helped the team play a better brand of volleyball.

“I mean, that’s what I wanted to do,” Cinel said. “Also, being a senior, I wanted to take more charge and make sure the team knows I have their back so they don’t have to do everything. I wanted to be that person and leader that helps the team.”

Yami – as she is known by her teammates and friends – brought a plethora of experiences to the team, with the playing style of her home country of Turkey mixed with what she took from playing at the University of Northern Iowa a couple of years ago.

Cinel started her college career playing for the Panthers, racking up 143 kills, 30 blocks and 20 digs in 20 matches. While building up her game in Iowa, Cinel also built herself around the culture of being a leader, something she strived for in her senior year.

Cinel then took her talents to Hempstead to play for Mansur, who she had made a connection with early on in Turkey.

“When I first came here three years ago, my teammates helped me, but it was mostly [Mansur] who provided a home environment, especially when we met in Turkey,” Cinel said. “She came to Turkey, met my parents and my sister, so that was the reason I chose Hofstra. She was always making sure we were okay. It was the little things like going over to her house for Thanksgiving because, as internationals, you don’t have your parents here, and when you come here, you don't know anyone.”

Mansur has been at the helm of the Pride for 10 years, so in a sea of players, Cinel was different, especially in her senior season.

“Yami had a great season. When you look at her numbers, she did a nice job, and the team loved her, which was cool to see, especially when you’re a senior and you are about to leave,” Mansur said. “She put a lot of love and a lot of work into this year, and I think as a coach and as a program we are very thankful for her.”

The imprint Cinel leaves with the team is rooted in how she cares for every member, which ties back to a very special person: her sister back home.

“It's important to me because I have a sister,” Cinel said. “[My teammmates] are all almost my sister's age, so I am putting them in a position to be like their sister. My sister is my everything, and we have a very good connection. It was important for me to make sure they were all okay.”

Cinel feels that she shares that sisterly aspect with the whole team as one of the leaders, but from a coach's perspective, Mansur saw something different between Cinel and freshman Nil Kayaalp, the only other Turkish player on the team.

“I think she had that with all the players, but she took Nil under her wing,” Mansur said. “Coming into her first year, Nil is super young. It’s hard because internationals are usually older, but Nil turned 18 in America, so it was even a bigger shock for her. Yami took her under her wing and helped guide her, which was cute to see.”

As Cinel leaves the court behind – full of memories both good and bad – what comes next for her remains to be decided.

“Honestly, we’ll see,” Cinel said. “Maybe in business management, maybe I want to play pro, maybe I'll get my master's, but I don't know yet.”

Meanwhile, with her team, Cinel made sure to lay down advice for the future of Hofstra volleyball, transforming a bitter ending to her season into a bittersweet one instead.

“I would say to try to enjoy the moment and make a lot of friends,” Cinel said.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics