| Melissa Vargas | |
| Fullname: | Melissa Teresa Vargas Abreu |
| Nickname: | Vargas Airlines |
| Birth Date: | 16 October 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Cienfuegos, Cuba |
| Height: | 1.94 m |
| Weight: | 76 kg |
| Spike: | 3.26 m |
| Block: | 3.15 m |
| College: | University of Cienfuegos |
| Currentclub: | Fenerbahçe Opet |
| Position: | Wing Spiker / Opposite Spiker |
| Currentnumber: | 4 (national team), 44 (club) |
Melissa Teresa Vargas Abreu (born 16 October 1999) is a Cuban-born Turkish volleyball player, who plays for Fenerbahçe Opet and the Turkey women's national volleyball team.
She was a member of the Cuba women's national volleyball team and was part of the Cuban national team at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Italy. Since 2023, she has been playing in the Turkey women's national volleyball team.
Vargas was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. She began playing volleyball on the street at age six and joined her school's team at age eight.[1] In 2021, she acquired Turkish citizenship.
Vargas played for the Cuban national team at the 2014 FIVB Women's World Championship, 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup, and in three editions of the FIVB World Grand Prix.[2]
In 2016, after suffering a shoulder injury while playing for a club team in the Czech Republic, Vargas returned to Cuba for treatment. After finding Cuban facilities lacking, she sought treatment elsewhere, at which point the Cuban Federation imposed a four-year ban on Vargas for what they described as "insulting and undisciplined attitudes toward her country."[3]
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 with the team. She was named MVP of the competition. At the 2023 Women's European Volleyball Championship, Vargas was once again named MVP after winning gold with Turkey.[4]