The Supernovas opened the day by announcing the return of opposite hitter and former Nebraska star Merritt Beason. The 2025 MLV No. 1 overall pick finished her first season in Omaha on a strong note. During the regular season, the Alabama native totaled 102 kills, 101 digs, 21 blocks and 12 aces across 68 sets, but the 6-foot-4 Beason elevated her play during Omaha’s two postseason matches.
In the MLV Semifinals, when the Supernovas upset top-seeded Indy Ignite, Beason recorded 15 points on 12 kills, six digs and three blocks. She followed that performance with 20 more points in the MLV Championship against Dallas, compiling 14 kills, six digs and a career-high five blocks, which also set a franchise playoff single-match record.
Middle blocker and 2026 MLV Rising Star Award winner Kiara Reinhardt became Omaha’s second re-signing of the day. Across 86 sets during her rookie season, Reinhardt led the Supernovas with a .327 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in MLV, while averaging 2.12 points and 1.41 kills per set. She also established herself as one of the league’s top servers, finishing tied for third with 21 aces while leading Omaha with 40 blocks.
The Supernovas found their setter for the 2027 season in Stanford standout Kami Miner. The California native spent her first professional season with Milano, one of Italy’s premier clubs competing in Serie A, widely regarded as one of the top leagues in the world.
Before departing for Europe, Miner enjoyed a prolific four-year career at Stanford, becoming a three-time AVCA First Team All-American setter. She averaged 11.45 assists per set across 125 career matches and nearly 5,200 total assists. Miner was named the Pac-12 Setter of the Year in 2022 and 2023 before earning ACC Setter of the Year honors in 2024. She also continues to make an impact with the U.S. National Team after being selected as one of 30 players for the American roster for the upcoming 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
Moving across the Omaha metro for her next stop, opposite hitter Kimberly Drewniok is expected to bring the point-producing firepower that has defined her professional career. She is coming off an outstanding 2026 season in League One Volleyball, where she finished third in the league in both total points (302) and kills (278). The 6-foot-2 left-hander from Germany has competed professionally in Serbia, Turkey, France and Italy while also gaining valuable international experience with the German National Team, including appearances on four different VNL rosters.
Another German offensive force joining Omaha is outside hitter Lena Stigrot. The 12-year professional spent the last two seasons in Japan, including a 2026 campaign in which she totaled 769 points (4.50 points per set) across 44 matches and 171 sets, finishing with the sixth-most points in the SV.League during the 2025-26 season.
Stigrot has also enjoyed success in some of the world’s most competitive leagues. The 6-foot outside hitter spent three seasons in Italy, highlighted by a 2021-22 campaign in which she ranked 10th overall and fifth among outside hitters with 374 points. Stigrot also competed alongside Drewniok on the German National Team, appearing on seven different VNL rosters.
Joining Reinhardt in the middle is Belgian standout Nathalie Lemmens. The 13-year veteran stands 6-foot-4 and has competed professionally in Germany, France, Hungary, Romania, Italy and Poland. One of the most accomplished volleyball players to come out of Belgium, Lemmens is best known for helping establish a dynasty with Asterix AVO Beveren. The club captured five consecutive Belgian Liga A and Belgian Cup titles during her five seasons there, with Lemmens earning Best Middle Blocker honors in each Belgian Cup victory.
In the only interleague move of the day, libero Teodora Pušić joins the Supernovas after spending her first American professional season with the Orlando Valkyries. The decorated 17-year veteran ranked among the league’s top passers in 2026 while averaging 3.24 digs per set and finishing second among MLV liberos with 95 assists.
The Serbian international has competed at the highest levels of the sport, helping her national team win gold medals at the 2018 and 2022 World Championships as well as the 2017 and 2019 European Championships. Pušić also enjoyed one of the best stretches of her career during the summer of 2022, when she earned Best Libero honors at the World Championships and Best Digger recognition in the Volleyball Nations League.
The Supernovas will continue their free agency announcements Thursday, May 28. Fans can follow along through the 2027 Supernovas Free Agent Tracker and the team’s social media channels.
The Omaha Supernovas are the world’s leading professional volleyball franchise, competing in Major League Volleyball (MLV). Over the past three 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.
