Story by Omaha Supernovas Communication
OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska’s professional volleyball team and first Pro Volleyball Champions, look to snap its first multi-match losing streak in franchise history by taking on the winless Columbus Fury Friday night at Nationwide Arena.
Game Details
Matchup: Omaha Supernovas (2-2) at Columbus Fury (0-3) | Friday, Jan. 24th | 6 p.m. CST | Nationwide Arena
Watch: PVF YouTube | Broadcast Crew: Neil Sika (PxP), Audrey Flaugh (Color)
Listen: Supernovas Radio Network | Broadcast Crew: Grant Hansen (PxP), Renee Saunders (Color)
Season Series: First of four meetings, first of two at Nationwide Arena.
All-Time Series: Omaha leads 3-1 (May 9, 2024, at Omaha last matchup, 3-0 OMA)
Series Notes: This is the fifth match between Omaha and Columbus. The Supernovas won the 2024 season series 3-1, including a 1-1 record at Nationwide Arena. The Fury took down the Supernovas in their first-ever home match in Columbus with a four-set victory on Feb. 21, 2024. The Supernovas went on to win the remaining three matches, including two four-setters on April 4 and May 4, which was followed by an Omaha sweep on May 9.
Supernovas-Fury Connections
- Supernovas Reagan Cooper and Kaitlyn Hord return to Columbus after playing for the Fury in the inaugural PVF season. Cooper was the PVF Rookie of the Year while Hord finished fourth in hitting percentage.
- Omaha rookie Emily Londot returns to Columbus where she spent five seasons at Ohio State University garnering over 2,600 career points.
- A batch of Puerto Ricans come together on the court on Friday night, which also extends to the coaching staff. Omaha's Natalia Valentín-Anderson and Valeria Vazquez Gomez have played with Columbus' Paula Cerame and Wilma Rivera on the Puerto Rico National Team. Fury middle blocker Janice Leao also heralds from Puerto Rico but hasn't competed on the national team.
- Plus, Columbus head coach Ángel Pérez coached against most of the Puerto Rican natives in the Puerto Rico League when he was with Changas de Naranjito (2016-2017) and Pinkin de Corozal (2019-2023).
- Valentín-Anderson and Rivera were teammates for the 2021-2022 Puerto Rico League season as part of Valencianas de Juncos where they finished fourth.
- The Supernovas setter also spent a brief time as teammates with Fury outside hitter Megan Courtney-Lush when they were with Leonas de Ponce for the 2015-2016 season when they placed third in the league standings.
- Columbus opposite Morgan Lewis spent four seasons (2019-2022) with Supernovas outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller at Oregon.
- Fury hitter Jill Gillen was originally drafted by the Supernovas at No. 8 overall in the 2023 PVF Draft but was immediately traded to Orlando for the 2024 season.
Hording the Net: Omaha middle Kaitlyn Hord has been one of the premier blockers in the league through the first two weeks of the 2025 season. The former Husker and Nittany Lion leads the PVF in total blocks with 16 while sitting second in blocks per set at 0.94. Hord's seven blocks in the five-set win over the Vibe on opening night set a Supernovas single-match record. Also, she is only one of two players in the PVF to record seven or more blocks in a match this season. The Kentucky native also sits ninth in hitting percentage with a .333 clip through 54 attacks with 21 kills and only three errors.
A”Nune"ther Level
• After averaging over 12 kills and digs per match last season, Supernovas outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller has raised her game in 2025.
• Nuneviller currently leads the league in points with 83 through 17 sets. That's made up of 77 kills and six blocks. Plus, she's second in the PVF in points per set with 4.88.
• The Chandler, Arizona native is one of only two players in the league to record a match with 20+ kills and 15+ digs. That was on opening night against Atlanta when she poured in 22 kills and 17 digs while hitting .340.
• The Oregon product has been averaging 19.25 kills and 16.0 digs per match through four contests. Her kill total (77) is first in the PVF while her kills per set (4.53) number is second in the league.
• Nuneviller is fifth in total digs with 64, which is more than five of the eight starting liberos in the PVF. Additionally, her 3.76 digs per set mark is eighth.
The Cooper Curve: Reigning 2024 PVF Rookie of the Year Reagan Cooper has had a solid start to the 2025 season highlighted by her serving game. Cooper has become the best server for the Supernovas recording a team-high five aces and 0.38 per set, which is both third in the league. The second-year pro is on pace to smash her rookie year serving totals when she only had eight aces in 82 sets last year in Columbus. Cooper became the first Supernovas player to put down an ace in three or more consecutive matches since Bethania De La Cruz did so last season. De La Cruz accomplished that feat in seven-straight contests en route to being named the 2024 PVF Server of the Year. The Rowlett, Texas native posted an ace in both the season-opening win over Atlanta and the sweep of Grand Rapids. She followed with two aces against the Thrill last Friday before another ace in the four-set defeat to San Diego on Sunday. Cooper hasn't matched her offensive numbers from last year, but she's still been a big threat with 46 kills and 3.54 kills per set with both stats second on the team.
The Dig Patrol
- The Supernovas enter the third weekend of the PVF first in total digs with 284 but are fifth in digs per set with 16.71. Omaha also features three of the best ball control defenders in the league with libero Camila Gómez, setter Natalia Valentín-Anderson and outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller as all three sit inside the top ten in both total digs and digs per set.
- Gómez leads the Omaha trio with 71 total digs and 4.18 digs per set, which is both second in the PVF behind reigning Libero of the Year Morgan Hentz from Atlanta.
- Valentín-Anderson is the lone setter in the top ten. She's tied for third with 65 digs which averages out to 3.82 digs per set, which is seventh across the league.
- Nuneviller, who is a former libero, is fifth in the PVF with 64 total digs which leads all hitters. She's eighth in digs per set at 3.76 which is third among all outside hitters.
Every match this season can be heard on the Supernovas Radio Network, led by its flagship station KCRO 660 AM as part of Walnut Media. The SRN can be heard in five states with the support of its affiliates in KXCB Bluffs Country 106.5 FM, Boomer Radio 106.7 FM, ESPN Tri Cities, KNCY in Nebraska City, KGMT in Fairbury and KSID-AM in Sidney.