Kiara Reinhardt Turns Opportunity into Impact in Rookie Season with the Supernovas

By Lincoln Arneal

After starting more than 92 percent of her matches in college, Kiara Reinhardt found herself in an unfamiliar position with the Omaha Supernovas. The first-round draft pick began the year as a reserve for the Supernovas, which was just fine by her. 

However, the new arrangement wouldn’t last long. 

Reinhardt’s role as a “game changer” coming off the bench ended after four matches, as the Creighton graduate adapted quickly to her new life as a professional. Eventually, Reinhardt played her way into the starting lineup and established herself as one of the top offensive middle blockers in Major League Volleyball. 

“It was obviously a little bit of an adjustment, but I also feel like I had a good mindset going into the season,” Reinhardt said. “I wasn’t necessarily expecting to start right off the bat. I knew I had a lot to learn, and still have a lot to learn, so I think that really helped me.”

Two months into the season, Reinhardt has settled into a routine and adapted to the rhythms of professional volleyball. She is eighth in the league with a .337 hitting percentage, tied for ninth with 0.44 blocks per set and second with 19 aces. 

The biggest difference at the professional level for Reinhardt is the relentless level of competition. In college, she would face opponents whose scouting reports often focused on a couple of players. However, every MLV team features elite talent and can impact the match. 

“Everyone’s really good, and you have to prepare for a wider range of players to be really successful,” Reinhardt said. “The game plans are a little bit more intense.”

The 6-foot-3 middle blocker barely had time to regroup after coming off a long college season. She only got a two-week break before joining the training camp, where six other middle blockers were competing for a roster spot. The Supernovas entered the season big on depth at middle blockers, but light on experience. Of the five middle blockers who made the roster to begin the year, third-year Janice Leao is the most veteran. 

In addition, Reinhardt had to play catch up in learning coach Luka Slabe’s system after joining the position group several weeks into training camp, which started in early December when she was still busy playing with Creighton. 

Novas assistant coach Thomas Robson said Reinhardt made the most of the opportunity in front of her once she reported to the Supernovas. 

“She went in with this role of the middle position wide open,” he said. “You’ve got to work hard. It’s going to take some time to translate. But it’s yours, if you can really go after it. And she’s gone in fearlessly, which has really helped us.”

The similar ages of the middle blockers made the group close as they were all learning together. Second-year middle Toyosi Onabanjo said while some might view their lack of experience as a negative, she sees their eagerness to learn as a positive. 

Onabanjo said the first month as a professional was jarring for her during her rookie season. While she adapted quickly to the practice routine because those weren’t too different from what she experienced at Kansas, Onabanjo struggled to hit the ball over the net at times and made mistakes she never committed in college. However, she said Reinhardt has handled the transition quite well. 

“Most rookies come in timid, and a little scared. She came in full-hearted, ready to go in,” Onabajo said about Reinhardt. “That was something that I thought was so amazing, was how ready she was as a rookie... It’s just so scary getting to that next level. I was just so astonished about how quickly she was getting on that first day and her growth since then.”

Even though Reinhardt entered camp knowing a few players on the roster, including her former Creighton teammate Norah (Sis) TeBrake, she said the biggest help in her transition was Emily Londot. They never played against each other in college, but the second-year opposite helped provide valuable mental and emotional support during Reinhardt’s transition to the pro game. 

It’s been a team effort as Reinhardt has gotten to know her teammates through practices, long road trips filled with Bananagrams and exploring cities together looking for coffee spots. She appreciates everyone helping her adapt to the professional game and showing her grace as she settles into the new team.

“I absolutely love the girls on this team. They have done a tremendous job in helping me adjust, but they’re also just really fun people. They make the travel more fun, which our schedule is tough, and there’s a lot of travel days that are just brutal sometimes, but they make it fun… We have a great team of women that I just really enjoy spending time with.” 

On the court, Reinhardt made two appearances off the bench in the first few weeks of the season as the Supernovas tried to find the right combination at middle blocker. Eventually, they landed on Onabanjo and Reinhardt — the Supernovas’ past two first-round draft picks. 

After four matches as a reserve, Reinhardt moved into the starting lineup against Columbus on Jan. 22. She doesn’t remember when she first learned that she’d be starting, but was filled with excitement and nerves as she went through warm-ups. Although she played in a lot of high-pressure matches in college, this occasion felt different. To calm her anxiety, Reinhardt said she relied on her training and focused on bringing energy to the position.

After the Novas dropped the first match with Onabanjo and Reinhardt starting together, the team caught fire and won the next five matches. 

Reinhardt settled in quickly and began making a big impact. In her second match as a starter, she put up six kills, six blocks and an ace. That turned out to be a glimpse of what Reinhardt was capable of as a professional. 

In the next match, Reinhardt led the Supernovas to a five-set win over the San Diego Mojo with 20 total points, the most ever by an Omaha middle blocker. She recorded 18 kills with a .640 hitting percentage to go with a pair of blocks. Both the points and kills were personal highs for Reinhardt, dating back to at least high school.

While the wins piled up early, that run of success ended as the Novas dropped their next six matches. Despite the results not going their way over that span month, the Supernovas responded with back-to-back wins, including a five-set victory against the league-leading Indy Ignite in front of a U.S. professional volleyball record crowd of 16,838. 

Despite the losing streak, Reinhardt said she never panicked, even though she isn’t used to being on the short end of the scoreboard knowing that they could still turn things around.

“Our bodies and our responses just maybe aren’t used to losing, and we can't give it that much power just because it’s not familiar to us, but our goals are still in reach,” she said. “The world isn’t ending just because some games aren’t going our way and haven’t gone the way we want them to. But we know we can still impact the game with, and that’s what we’ve really been focusing on.”

Now in her eighth straight month of playing volleyball, Reinhardt is focusing on staying physically sharp. She tries to get enough sleep so her body can recover and also fuel properly. 

While she continues to adapt and learn, Reinhardt is living the dream of playing professional volleyball in a familiar place, something she didn’t think was possible just a few years ago. 

She had fun playing at the CHI Health Center with Creighton, but she enjoys the atmosphere much more now. Usually, the Bluejays would play in the 18,000-seat arena against in-state rival Nebraska, which would bring a large contingent of fans and split the allegiance of the crowd. 

Reinhardt said she feels fortunate to continue playing in Omaha in front of a united fan base that actively chooses to support volleyball.

“This is where my life is now, and I get to be a part of this,” Reinhardt said. “I’m looking around, and there are all these fans packed in here (at CHI). I can’t believe I am this blessed and filled with so much gratitude to be able to be a part of something so cool.”

...

About the Omaha Supernovas    

The Omaha Supernovas are the world’s leading professional volleyball franchise, competing in Major League Volleyball (MLV). Over the past two seasons, the Supernovas have been No. 1 in the world in professional volleyball attendance, drawing unmatched crowds to the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha. As the driving force in professional volleyball, the Supernovas are redefining success in women’s sports through elite performance, commercial innovation, strategic brand building, and an unwavering commitment to NovasNation and the broader community across Omaha, Nebraska, and beyond.  

About Major League Volleyball    

Major League Volleyball, entering its third season, is the longest-running formal professional volleyball league for women in the United States. Designed to elevate the sport through world class competition, commercial innovation, and cultural relevance, MLV brings together elite athletes, visionary leadership and global ambition. With alignment to USA Volleyball and a commitment to Olympic development, MLV serves as the premier pathway from professional play to the world stage. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.