Omaha Supernovas

Last updated
Omaha Supernovas
OmahaSupernovas.png
SportVolleyball
Founded2023
First season2024
League Pro Volleyball Federation
Based in Omaha, Nebraska
Arena CHI Health Center Omaha
ColorsPink, light blue, purple, navy blue
    
OwnerNebraska Pro Volleyball (Chris Erickson, Danny White & Jason Derulo)
PresidentDiane Mendenhall
Head coachLaura "Bird" Kuhn
Championships1 (2024)
Playoff berths1 (2024)
Website supernovas.com

The Omaha Supernovas are a professional women's indoor volleyball franchise based in Omaha, Nebraska, that competes in the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF). They play their home games at CHI Health Center Omaha. The Supernovas began play as one of the charter franchises of the PVF, and competed in its first two seasons in 2024 and 2025, winning the former. Following a dispute with the league, the Supernovas plan to exit the PVF and become one of the charter franchises of the competing Major League Volleyball in 2026.

Contents

History

On April 12, 2023, Omaha was announced as one of the cities to get a Pro Volleyball Federation franchise for the league's inaugural season, led by an ownership group headed by Omaha businessman Danny White and R&B/pop singer Jason Derulo. [1] The Supernovas name, logo and colors were announced on July 20. [2]

The first match, of both the Supernovas’ season and the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation, was played on January 24, 2024, at home, with the Supernovas losing to the Atlanta Vibe in five sets. The attendance mark of 11,624 set a record for both a women's professional volleyball match in the United States, and in the Pro Volleyball Federation. The previous attendance record for a women's professional volleyball match in the United States was 10,213 fans, at an Olympic qualifier on January 9, 2016. [3]

2024 Season

Before the season began, the Omaha Supernovas announced that head coach Shelton Collier would serve as an advisor to the organization. Assistant coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn was named as the interim head coach, with Jazz Schmidt joining the staff as an assistant coach and operations assistant. [4]

The team broke the record for the highest attendance at a women's professional volleyball match in the United States three different times throughout the season. The current attendance record was set on Saturday, March 16, 2024, when 12,090 spectators watched the Supernovas beat the Valkyries at the CHI Health Center. The team posted the highest attendance in the PVF, with an average home attendance of 9,656, and a total attendance of 134,969 over the entire season. [5]

In the playoffs, the Supernovas beat San Diego and Grand Rapids to become the inaugural champions of the PVF. [5]

Home Attendance Records [6]
DATEOPPONENTFANS
Wednesday, Jan. 24Atlanta11,624 [7]
Saturday, Feb. 3San Diego11,403
Wednesday, Feb. 7Vegas9,076
Sunday, Feb. 18Orlando11,918
Thursday, March 14Atlanta8,114
Saturday, March 16Orlando12,090 [8]
Thursday, March 28Grand Rapids7,505
Saturday, March 30Vegas10,315
Thursday, April 4Columbus7,411
Saturday, April 20San Diego11,303
Friday, April 26Grand Rapids7,107
Thursday, May 9Columbus8,009
TOTAL12 Matches115,875
Average9,656
PVF SemifinalsSan Diego8,416
PVF ChampionshipGrand Rapids10,678
TOTAL15 Matches134,969 [5]

2025 Season

DateTeamHome/ AwayLocationTime/ Results
1/10/25Atlanta VibeHome CHI Health Center Won in 5 sets [9]
1/12/25Grand Rapids RiseAway Van Andel Arena Won in 3 sets [10]
1/17/25Vegas ThrillAway Lee's Family Forum Lost in 5 sets [11]
1/19/25San Diego MojoHome CHI Health Center Lost in 4 sets [12]
1/24/25Columbus FuryAway Nationwide Arena 6pm CT
1/31/25Columbus FuryHome CHI Health Center 7pm CT
2/2/25Orlando ValkyriesAway Addition Financial Arena 2pm CT
2/6/25Indy IgniteAway Fishers Event Center 6pm CT
2/8/25Atlanta VibeAway Gas South Arena 6pm CT
2/16/25San Diego MojoHome CHI Health Center 3pm CT
2/20/25San Diego MojoAway Viejas Arena 9pm CT
2/27/25Orlando ValkyriesHome CHI Health Center 7pm CT
3/2/25Indy IgniteHome CHI Health Center 3pm CT
3/5/25Columbus FuryAway Nationwide Arena 6pm CT
3/13/25Indy IgniteAway Fishers Event Center 6pm CT
3/15/25Orlando ValkyriesAway Addition Financial Arena 6pm CT
3/22/25Indy IgniteHome CHI Health Center TBD
3/28/25Vegas ThrillHome CHI Health Center 7pm CT
3/30/25Grand Rapids RiseHome CHI Health Center 3pm CT
4/5/25Orlando ValkyriesHome CHI Health Center 6pm CT
4/10/25Vegas ThrillAway Lee's Family Forum 9pm CT
4/12/25San Diego MojoAway Viejas Arena 8pm CT
4/17/25Grand Rapids RiseHome CHI Health Center 7pm CT
4/19/25Atlanta VibeHome CHI Health Center 6pm CT
4/25/25Columbus FuryHome CHI Health Center TBD
4/27/25Vegas ThrillHome CHI Health Center 3pm CT
5/2/25Grand Rapids RiseAway Van Andel Arena 6pm CT
5/4/25Atlanta VibeAway Gas South Arena 2pm CT

2025 Roster

Current as of January 10, 2025. [13]

NumberPlayerPositionHeightCollege/Club
1 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Natalia Valentín-Anderson Setter5'10" Florida International
4 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Valeria Vázquez GomezOutside hitter6'1" Pittsburgh
5 Flag of the United States.svg Brooke Nuneviller Outside hitter5'10" Oregon
6 Flag of the United States.svg Kendra Wait Setter5'10" Creighton
8 Flag of the United States.svg Reagan Cooper Outside hitter6'2" Texas Tech, Kansas
9 Flag of the United States.svg Mac Podraza Setter6'2" Ohio State, Penn State
10 Flag of Colombia.svg Camila Gómez Libero5'2" Miami Dade, Texas A&M
11 Flag of the United States.svg Kelsie Payne Opposite Hitter6'3" Kansas
14 Flag of the United States.svg Ally Batenhorst Outside hitter6'5" Nebraska, USC
17 Flag of the United States.svg Phoebe Awoleye Middle blocker6'2" Georgia, LMU, Minnesota
20 Flag of the United States.svg Allison Whitten Libero5'2" Morehead State, Creighton
21 Flag of the United States.svg Toyosi Onabanjo Middle blocker6'1" Iowa, Kansas
22 Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Krause Outside hitter6'4" Nebraska
23 Flag of the United States.svg Kaitlyn Hord Middle Blocker6'4" Penn State, Nebraska
27 Flag of the United States.svg Emily Londot Opposite hitter6'3" Ohio State
28 Flag of the United States.svg Kayla Caffey Middle Blocker6'0" Missouri, Nebraska, Texas

Coaching staff

NameRole
Laura 'Bird' Kuhn [14] Head Coach
Thomas Robson [15] Assistant Coach

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References

  1. ↑ "Pro Volleyball Federation Team Coming to Omaha". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  2. ↑ "Nebraska Pro Volleyball Reveals Official Team Name: OMAHA SUPERNOVAS". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ↑ "SMASHED! First Pro Volleyball Federation Match Sets Attendance Record". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  4. ↑ "Supernovas Announce Coaching Staff Promotions". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  5. 1 2 3 "Supernovas Welcome Over 134,000 Fans in Championship-Winning Inaugural Season". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  6. ↑ Omaha Supernovas. "Omaha Supernovas Match Notes" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Sjuts, Kevin (2024-01-25). "Record crowd welcomes Pro Volleyball Federation's inaugural season". www.1011now.com. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  8. ↑ Parsons, McKenzy (2024-03-17). "Omaha Supernovas, defeat Orlando Valkyries, break another attendance record". KETV. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  9. ↑ Boyles, Grace (2025-01-10). "Nuneviller's 22 kills power the Supernovas to five-set win over the Vibe, while setting another attendance record". wowt.com. Omaha, Nebraska: WOWT . Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  10. ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (2025-01-12). "Grand Rapid Rise fall short in volleyball home opener amid record-setting crowd". mlive.com. Grand Rapids, Michigan: MLive. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  11. ↑ "Nuneviller Tallies 18 Kills as Supernovas Fall to Thrill in Reverse Sweep". provolleyball.com. Henderson, Nevada. 2025-01-18. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
  12. ↑ Keeler, Drake (2025-01-19). "Omaha Supernovas fall to San Diego Mojo at home". omaha.com. San Diego, California. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  13. ↑ "Omaha Supernovas Roster". Pro Volleyball Federation .
  14. ↑ "Supernovas Officially Hire Laura "Bird" Kuhn as Head Coach, Drops Interim Title". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  15. ↑ "Supernovas Re-Sign Thomas Robson as Assistant Coach". Pro Volleyball Federation. 2024-07-15. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
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