How well do you know Melissa Vargas?
In one summer Melissa Vargas helped lead Turkey to its first Nations League and European titles. These six questions follow her journey from Cuba to the top of world volleyball.
Did you know?
- Vargas is known for changing her hair colour often, appearing with bright pink, blue, blonde and other shades. Fans enjoy guessing what she will look like at the next tournament, and her playful style has helped attract younger viewers to women's volleyball.
- Although she plays volleyball for Fenerbahçe, Vargas has openly supported Beşiktaş, one of its big rivals, in football. Turkish fans often find this funny, and it has become a well-known piece of trivia about one of the league's biggest stars.
- Turkey's women's national team is nicknamed the 'Filenin Sultanları', meaning the Sultans of the Net. Its matches draw huge television audiences in Turkey, and the team's success has made volleyball one of the most-watched sports in the country, especially among young girls.
A new chapter in Turkish volleyball
Melissa Teresa Vargas Abreu was born in Cienfuegos, on Cuba's southern coast, in 1999. Tall and athletic, she rose quickly through Cuban youth teams and played for the senior national side as a teenager. After a dispute with the Cuban federation stopped her from representing Cuba, she moved abroad, first to the Czech Republic and then, in 2018, to Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, where she became one of the most feared attackers in Europe.
Why the opposite matters
In volleyball, the opposite hitter plays diagonally across from the setter and is usually the team's main source of points. Because she does not normally receive serve, she can focus on attacking from the right side and the back row. Vargas's height, jumping power and very fast arm swing make her hard to block. Her jump serve, one of the most powerful in the women's game, often wins points outright or breaks the other team's rhythm.
The golden summer of 2023
Turkey's women's team had long been one of Europe's strongest, but it had never won a major international title. In 2023, with Vargas joining players such as Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş and Ebrar Karakurt under Italian coach Daniele Santarelli, everything changed. The team won the Nations League in July and the European Championship in September, and Vargas was named MVP of both. The victories were celebrated across Turkey.
On to the Olympics
Later in 2023 Turkey qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and Vargas made her Olympic debut there. At club level she has continued to win honours with Fenerbahçe, including the Turkish league title in 2024, when she was named MVP of the finals. Her energy on court, with celebrations, dances and ever-changing hair colours, has made her one of the most recognisable and popular figures in the sport.