Omaha Supernovas Explained

Team:Omaha Supernovas
Founded:2023
Sport:Volleyball
Current:2024 Omaha Supernovas season
League:Pro Volleyball Federation
Arena:CHI Health Center Omaha
City:Omaha, Nebraska
Colors:Pink, light blue, purple, navy blue
Owner:Nebraska Pro Volleyball (Chris Erickson, Danny White & Jason Derulo)
President:Diane Mendenhall
Coach:Laura "Bird" Kuhn
Playoff Berths:1 (2024)
Championships:1 (2024)
Website:supernovas.com
First Season:2024

The Omaha Supernovas are a professional indoor volleyball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. The team competes in the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF). The Supernovas began play in the league's inaugural 2024 season. The team plays their home games at CHI Health Center Omaha.

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 the Supernovas’ season and the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation game was played on January 24, 2024, at home. In a 5-set match, the Supernovas lost to the Atlanta Vibe by a score of 26–24, 25–23, 25–17, 25–19, 15–13.[3] 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. The contest, held at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, was a 3–0 U.S. Women's National Team victory over the Dominican Republic. It concluded the NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournament and earned the United States a berth in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.[4]

2024 Season

The Omaha Supernovas have announced head coach Shelton Collier will serve as an Advisor to the Organization and named assistant coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn as the interim Head Coach. Additionally, former Creighton volleyball standout, Jazz Schmidt joins the Supernovas’ coaching staff as an assistant coach and operations assistant.

During its championship run in the inaugural PVF season, the Supernovas became the league's shining star, hosting 134,969 fans across the 15 matches held at the CHI Health Center. That includes a whopping 9,656 average mark for the 12 Supernovas’ home matches, plus the 19,094 spectators who attended the PVF Semifinals and Championship.  

The Supernovas erased any doubt that professional volleyball could happen in the United States with their 9,656 match average the No. 1 mark amongst professional volleyball teams in the world.  

Omaha broke many of its own attendance records across its historic season, starting with 11,624 fans attending the first-ever PVF match on Jan. 24 between Omaha and the Atlanta Vibe. That mark was broken a few weeks later on Sunday, Feb. 18 as 11,918 fans showed up to watch the Supernovas take on the Orlando Valkyries. The newest and most current attendance record was set on Saturday, March 16 with 12,090 spectators packing into the CHI Health Center to see the Supernovas beat the Valkyries in four sets.  

In total, Omaha hosted crowds of 10,000 people or more in seven of the 15 matches hosted at CHI this past season, including five-digit crowds in six of the 12 regular season contests.

The Supernovas took advantage of the partisan crowd, going 9-3 at home during the regular season before winning two-straight at CHI to become the inaugural champions.  [5]

Home Attendance Records[6] !DATE!OPPONENT !FANS
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[9]

2024 Roster

Current as of April 21, 2024.[10]

NumberPlayerPositionHeight
1 Natalia Valentín-AndersonSetter5'10"
2 Sydney HilleySetter6'0"
3 Kendall WhiteLibero5'7"
5 Brooke NunevillerOutside hitter5'10"
6 Tori DixonMiddle blocker6'4"
7 Gina Mancuso-PrososkiOutside hitter6'1"
10 Jess Schaben-LansmanOutside hitter6'2"
11 Hristina VuchkovaMiddle blocker6'2"
12 Kyla SwansonMiddle blocker6'4"
13 Paige BriggsOutside hitter5'10"
14 Nia Kai ReedOpposite hitter6'2"
15 Allison MayfieldOutside hitter6'1"
18 Bethania de la CruzOutside hitter6'2"
23 Gabby ThompsonLibero5'7"
25 Maggie CartwrightOpposite hitter5'11"
81 Danielle HartMiddle blocker6'3"

Practice squad

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-04-12 . Pro Volleyball Federation Team Coming to Omaha . 2024-01-19 . Pro Volleyball Federation.
  2. Web site: 2023-07-20 . Nebraska Pro Volleyball Reveals Official Team Name: OMAHA SUPERNOVAS . 2024-01-19 . Pro Volleyball Federation.
  3. Web site: Collier . Clayton . 2024-01-25 . Omaha Supernovas open with 5-set loss to Atlanta Vibe in epic Pro Volleyball Federation debut match . 2024-01-26 . en.
  4. Web site: 2024-01-25 . SMASHED! First Pro Volleyball Federation Match Sets Attendance Record . 2024-02-02 . Pro Volleyball Federation . en.
  5. Web site: 2024-06-04 . Supernovas Welcome Over 134,000 Fans in Championship-Winning Inaugural Season . 2024-06-06 . Pro Volleyball Federation . en.
  6. Web site: Omaha Supernovas . Omaha Supernovas Match Notes .
  7. Web site: Sjuts . Kevin . 2024-01-25 . Record crowd welcomes Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season . 2024-05-24 . www.1011now.com . en.
  8. Web site: Parsons . McKenzy . 2024-03-17 . Omaha Supernovas, defeat Orlando Valkyries, break another attendance record . 2024-05-24 . KETV . en.
  9. Web site: 2024-06-04 . Supernovas Welcome Over 134,000 Fans in Championship-Winning Inaugural Season . 2024-06-06 . Pro Volleyball Federation . en.
  10. Web site: Roster . Omaha Supernovas.