A Cuban Queen in Turkey: Melissa Vargas, EuroVolley MVP and Champion

September 5, 2023

As she had previously done with the Nations League, when she led Turkey to victory and was named Most Valuable, the Cuban naturalized in that country, Melissa Vargas, repeated another phenomenal performance in the final of the European Volleyball Championship, sealed with another triumph and another MVP trophy for her.

Turkey needed another five-set match to win the gold, another heartbreaker with partial scores of 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 22-25, and 13-15, which again had Melissa as the standout figure of the day and the tournament.

The Caribbean native scored an impressive 41 points and for the ninth time in the nine EuroVolley matches in which she participated, she was the leading scorer of her team, something that earned her the selection as the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.

Melissa was second in points scored (201) and in aces with 19, a demonstration of her weapons for causing damage. In the final, she added three points with her serve and 38 in attack.

Let us recall that, before the EuroVolley, the Eurasian nation achieved its first title in the history of the Nations League and she was recognized with several awards, among these, the most valuable player (MVP) award.

Since 2018, Melissa Vargas has played in leagues in Turkey and China, until in 2021 she became a Turkish citizen.

After the two years that the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) requires to represent a new team different from the country of origin, Melissa was ready to be eligible.

Now, in the EuroVolley, she once again showed the quality that accredits her as one of the best, perhaps, the best volleyball player in the world.