By Annie Walker
February 18, 2024
OMAHA, NE. – The Omaha Supernovas used the match-high 14 kills from captain Brooke Nuneviller and the record-breaking 11,918 fans to storm past the Orlando Valkyries 25-13, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20 Sunday night at the CHI Health Center.
The 11,918 broke Omaha’s own record for the most attended indoor U.S. professional volleyball match. The previous mark was set by the Supernovas on January 24, 2024 as 11,624 saw Omaha take on the Atlanta Vibe in the first Pro Volleyball Federation match. The Supernovas also saw 11,403 fans fill CHI as Omaha won its first match in franchise history with a sweep of the San Diego Mojo on February 3, 2024.
Nuneviller was also a standout defensively, matching her kill total with 14 digs. Dominican Republic Olympian Bethania de la Cruz totaled 13 kills on a .314 clip which marks her second-straight match hitting above .300. De la Cruz also added two aces to make her league-leading total 19 on the season. Opposite Jess Schaben-Lansman recorded eight kills to go with 12 digs.
Omaha middle Tori Dixon paced the block with five stuffs along with seven kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Bulgarian Hristina Vuchkova put down five kills on 12 swings with one block while Danielle Hart added two kills in three tries.
Libero Kendall White dug out 15 balls to go along with three assists. Sydney Hilley got the start at setter for the Supernovas as the Wisconsin product dished out 38 assists with 14 digs, two blocks, two kills and one ace.
Omaha (4-2) hit .299 on the night for their best team hitting percentage since sweeping the Mojo. The Supernovas had four aces and tied a season high with 13 blocks.
Rookie Jill Gillen led the Valkyries (2-3) with a team-high 13 kills along with 13 digs and one block. Carly Skjodt added 11 kills as Orlando’s offense had to do without star attacker Adora Anae who did not play. The Valkyries hit .161 on the evening with two aces and six blocks.
Set 1: The Supernovas jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead behind kills from de la Cruz and Schaben-Lansman. A second-ball dump by Hilley doubled the Omaha lead at 18-9. Schaben-Lansman followed up with her first block of the match to force an Orlando timeout. A service error by the Valkyries ended the set 25-23 in favor of the Supernovas. The Omaha offense was clicking, with a .448 hitting percentage. Nuneviller and de la Cruz both tallied four kills.
Set 2: Orlando took their first lead of the match early in the set after a slide kill by Kazmiere Brown (3-2). Some stellar defense by Nuneviller and White as well as a smartly-placed ball by de le Cruz brought the score to 18-17, Valkyries. De la Cruz went on a 3-0 service run, highlighted by two Dixon kills to give the Supernovas a two-point advantage (20-18). Schaben-Lansman recorded her sixth kill of the match for set point, and a Nuneviller block ended the set at 25-21. Omaha outblocked Orlando 5-1, sparked by a pair of stuffs by Dixon.
Set 3: The Supernovas began the set with a near ace by Dixon which led to a free ball for Omaha. Vuchkova capitalized with a kill out of the middle to double the Supernovas’ lead at 6-3. Orlando grabbed the lead back at 8-7 off a M’Kaela White kill. They extended the lead to 16-8 after Gillen’s ninth kill of the match. Nia Reed checked into the match for Omaha and immediately recorded a kill to break the Orlando run. An ace by Hilley fended off one Valkyries set point, but Gillen’s 10th kill ended the set 25-21 for Orlando. Gillen hit an offensive stride for the Valkyries with six kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
Set 4: The Valkyries stole the first two points of the set behind kills from Brown and Rivera. Omaha followed-up with a 4-0 run. Hart got in on the offensive action with her first kill of the match to tie the score 7-7. Later in the set, Hart recorded another kill to extend the Omaha lead 19-16. An attack error by Orlando forced a timeout. Carly Skjodt tallied her 11th kill for Orlando to stop the run (20-17). A de la Cruz kill brought the Supernovas to set point. Gillen answered with a kill of her own, but a service error ended the set 25-20 and the match 3-1, Supernovas.
The Supernovas embark on a four-match road stretch, beginning on Feb. 21 against the Columbus Fury in its home opener. First serve is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The team will then head to Orlando, Fla. for a rematch with the Orlando Valkyries on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. (CT).
Fans can listen to all the action on the Supernovas Radio Network which is led by the flagship station, 93.7 The Ticket. Radio coverage is also on 95.7 The Boss (Omaha), KRVN (Lexington), KOLT (Scottsbluff) and KTOC (West Point).
ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS
The Omaha Supernovas aim to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation began play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our focus is on ensuring that the level and quality of play, treatment of players, quality of event presentations, and day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
COURTESY OMAHA SUPERNOVAS COMMUNICATIONS
