Barbara is the sister of volleyball player Vesna Jelić who was also part of the Croatian team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Jelić was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, Yugoslavia to Croatian father Ivica and Slovenian mother Margareta, both former players.

As an outstanding outside and opposite hitter she led the Croatian team with her father Ivica Jelić as coach to three silver medals at the European Championships 1995, 1997 and 1999, a sensational 7th place at the Olympics in Sydney 2000 and a 6th place at the World Championship 1998 in Japan.

After her time in Japan she played in the Italian and Turkish league gaining further titles - with an interruption in the 2000–01 season to become a mother[2] - and called it a career in 2004.

She briefly returned to support Croatia at the European Championship in her home country in 2005, persuaded by her coach-father to be a role model for young Croatian girls.