Omaha, Neb. - In cooperation with the Pro Volleyball Federation, Nebraska Pro Volleyball is bringing a women’s professional team to Omaha. Today, amongst a sea of players, coaches, dignitaries and leaders throughout the state, the Omaha-based team revealed the team name: Omaha Supernovas. The moniker pays tribute to the amazing night sky found throughout the state and region, the magnitude of splendor of the professional athletes, and the massive, explosive energy of women’s volleyball in the United States.
“Omaha Supernovas both embodies the players on our team and reflects this historic moment in sports,” said Nebraska Pro Volleyball President Diane Mendenhall. “Nationally, there is this huge explosive energy around volleyball, and the PVF allows the best of the best athletes to shine brightly here in the United States.”
Mendenhall added, “Like all epic moments, we stand on the shoulders of those that paved the way in building this epic energy and creating this tremendous volleyball legacy across our great state. Now, our young girls can dream of being shining stars, playing professionally, and winning championships with the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in the stratosphere. This is our time.”
Also in attendance, Pro Volleyball Federation co-founder Stephen Evans said, “Supernovas is a fitting name for this organization. From day one, they have demonstrated their commitment to making the Omaha franchise one which the community, and the entire state, will be proud to support. The leadership has built this organization around superstars in the front office, on the coaching staff, and on its roster of players. We could not be prouder of what Danny, Chris, Jason, and their entire team of Supernovas is building in Omaha.”
Legendary football coach Jimmy Burrow, a founding partner and Director of Brand Advancement for the PVF, spoke at the name reveal and shared, “The Burrow family is excited about our involvement in the Pro Volleyball Federation. Having played football at Nebraska, we are extremely proud that there is a franchise here with the Omaha Supernovas. Nebraska fans are the greatest and the support here for the Supernovas will be tremendous.”
The team also announced the kickoff of their season ticket deposit campaign. Fans can visit the Omaha Supernovas’ website, supernovas.com, and select “Season Ticket Deposit” to make their $100 deposit and reserve their spot in line to select their seats in August. Full season ticket packages, for all 12 home matches at the CHI Health Center, will be $150 to $1,500 per season ticket package, depending on seating location. Seat selection will be based on the order deposits are received so fans are encouraged to make the $100 deposit as soon as possible.
Wayne State’s Volleyball Head Coach, Scott Kneifl, shared his support, “Professional volleyball coming to Nebraska is outstanding, not only for our state, but also for the sport of volleyball. I don't know of a place where the people support volleyball like they do in Nebraska! Professional volleyball gives young women from our area, and across the country, something to strive for in our sport, and I'm excited to see how Nebraskans get out and support the Omaha Supernovas.”
University of Kearney’s Volleyball Head Coach, Rick Squires, added, “I couldn’t be more excited about the emergence of legitimate professional women’s volleyball in our country. Having a team in Nebraska had to be the biggest ‘no-brainer’ in the whole process. Our state continues to set the bar when it comes to support for this great game, and I can already foresee the Omaha Supernovas leading the league in attendance. I look forward to being on hand for some outstanding volleyball this spring!”
The Pro Volleyball Federation is expected to launch its first season in early 2024 and play into May. Six of the team markets have been announced: Omaha, Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando, Grand Rapids and Columbus, and are currently building their teams. Yesterday, Dallas was added to the team lineup and will begin play with the 2025 season. .
The inaugural Omaha Supernovas’ roster now stands at 12 players. Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.
For more information, to reserve season tickets, explore the team name, and see the new team Omaha Supernovas’ website, please visit supernovas.com.
OMAHA SUPERNOVAS STORY
In Nebraska, the stars shine bright. From east to west, and north to south, our star-studded skies light up the night. But every so often an exquisite explosion of light and energy illuminates the universe with a pulsating radiance, making awestruck any observer and frenzying a spirited astonishment among those in its presence. This is mystified air for sure, and these are not just any stars in the sky -- they are super stars, or more accurately, they are supernovas.
Now come the Omaha Supernovas, the brightest shining stars among their peers. Like their intergalactic counterparts, these Supernovas are majestic in their power, and bold in their brilliance. Within the universe, supernovas are rare spectacles. On the volleyball court, Omaha's Supernovas are also a rare breed of skill, desire, dedication, and a relentless drive to be the shining lights within a league full of stars.
Only a select few stars become supernovas, or Supernovas. So special are supernovas that their sheer brilliance adds enriching elements to our solar system, becoming the foundation of all heavenly bodies. Similarly, the Omaha Supernovas, bursting with a glorious luster of splendor and an extra-dimensional energy, are laying the foundation for world-class female athletes everywhere to break barriers, bask in new opportunities, and flood this new horizon with a true awakening of women shaping new worlds while reaching for the stars.
In Nebraska, the stars really do shine bright, but it's the Supernovas whose magnificence defies the ordinary and whose trailblazing spirits now light the path to extraordinary aspirations.
ABOUT NEBRASKA PRO VOLLEYBALL
Nebraska Pro Volleyball aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The Omaha-based 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.
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 will begin play in early 2024 with world class athletes and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.
ABOUT THE CHI CENTER
The CHI Health Center Omaha arena and convention center is managed by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that builds and operates public venues in Omaha. Over the past two decades, the CHI Health Center has been selected for multiple NCAA championships, including women’s volleyball.