Melissa Vargas

Melissa Teresa Vargas Abreu (born 16 October 1999) is a professional volleyball player who plays as an outside or opposite spiker for Sultans League club Fenerbahçe. In 2021, she acquired Turkish citizenship.

She played in the Chinese League in the first halves of the Sultans League in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons and returned to Fenerbahçe for the second halves of those seasons.

On 10 April 2021, the application made by the Turkish Volleyball Federation for Vargas to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Turkey was approved and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented Melissa Vargas with her TR ID Card.

On 9 July 2024, she renewed her contract with Fenerbahçe Opet for 3 years.

International career Cuba Vargas has limited international experience with Cuba, appearing in the 2014 FIVB Women's World Championship, 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup, and in three editions of the FIVB World Grand Prix.

In 2016, after suffering a shoulder injury while playing for Agel Prostějov, Vargas returned to Cuba for treatment.

Türkiye After acquiring Turkish citizenship in 2021, Vargas became eligible to represent Turkey in international competition in 2023, after playing for the Turkish volleyball club Fenerbahçe for five seasons.

She debuted with the team at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League, where she played in 11 matches and won gold medal with the team. She was named MVP and Best Opposite Hitter of the competition.

She named Best Opposite Hitter at the 2025 FIVB World Championship after winning silver with Turkey.

Awards Honors Club Agel Prostějov Czech Volleyball Extraliga: 2015–16 Czech Cup: 2015–16 Volero Zürich Swiss Volleyball League A: 2017–18 Swiss Cup: 2017–18 Tianjin Bohai Bank FIVB Club World Championship: 2023 Chinese Volleyball Super League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 National Games of China: 2021 Fenerbahçe FIVB Club World Championship: 2021 CEV Champions League: 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 Turkish Volleyball Sultanlar Ligi: 2022–23, 2023–24 2020–21, 2021–22, 2024–25, 2025–26 2018–19 Turkish Cup: 2023–24, 2024–25 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23 Turkish Super Cup: 2022, 2024, 2025 2023

International Cuba U23 Pan-American Cup: 2014 Türkiye FIVB World Championship: 2025 FIVB Volleyball World Cup: 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League: 2023 European Volleyball Championship: 2023

Individual 2023 Turkish Athlete of the Year Club 2018–19 CEV Champions League – "Best Scorers" 2018–19 Turkish Volleyball League – "Best Scorer" 2018–19 Turkish Volleyball League – "Best Server" 2021–22 Chinese Volleyball League – "Best Server" 2020–21 Turkish Volleyball League – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2022–23 Chinese Volleyball League – "Best Server" 2022–23 Chinese Volleyball League – "Best Scorer" 2022–23 Chinese Volleyball League – "Best Spiker" 2022–23 Turkish Volleyball League – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2022–23 Turkish Volleyball League – "Finals MVP" 2023–24 Turkish Volleyball League – "Finals MVP" 2023–24 Turkish Cup – "MVP" 2024 Turkish Super Cup – "MVP" 2024–25 Turkish Cup – "MVP" 2025 Turkish Super Cup – "MVP"

International 2013 U20 Pan-American Cup – "Best Spiker" 2014 U23 Pan-American Cup – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games – Best Scorer 2015 Pan American Games – "Best Outside Hitter" 2015 Pan-American Volleyball Cup – "Best Outside Hitter" 2015 Pan-American Volleyball Cup – "Best Server" 2015 Pan-American Volleyball Cup – "Best Scorer" 2023 FIVB Nations League – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2023 FIVB Nations League – "MVP" 2023 European Volleyball Championship – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2023 European Volleyball Championship – "MVP" 2024 Summer Olympics – "Best Scorer" 2024 FIVB Nations League – "Best Scorer" 2024 FIVB Nations League – "Best Server" 2025 FIVB World Championship – "Best Opposite Hitter" 2025 FIVB World Championship – "Best Scorer" 2026 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League - "MVP"