Supernovas Battle Dallas for MLV Championship at 2 p.m. Saturday
MLV Omaha Supernovas

Supernovas Battle Dallas for MLV Championship at 2 p.m. Saturday

Published on May 8, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Omaha Supernovas News Release


Omaha Supernovas huddle
Omaha Supernovas huddle
(Omaha Supernovas)

FRISCO, Texas - The Omaha Supernovas return to the Major League Volleyball Championship stage Saturday afternoon as they face the Dallas Pulse in the league's "Match For a Million" Championship at 2 p.m. CDT. The Novas are seeking its second MLV Championship in the last three seasons.

The Supernovas earned their spot in the title match after rallying for a dramatic five-set semifinal victory over the top-seeded Indy Ignite Thursday night. Omaha now takes on championship host and No. 2 seed Dallas Pulse at the Comerica Center with the league crown on the line. First serve is set for 2 p.m. CDT on ION and can also be heard across the Supernovas Radio Network, led by flagship station KCRO 660 AM.

Tickets for the 2026 MLV Championship, set for Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, are on sale via the MLV Ticketmaster website. Prices start at $19 and provide access to both the semifinal and championship rounds. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.

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Match Details

Matchup: No. 4 Omaha Supernovas (15-14) vs. No. 2 Dallas Pulse (21-8)

When: Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. CDT

Where: Comerica Center, Frisco, Texas

Watch: ION / Tubi / FireTV Channels / Freevee / Roku Channel / Pluto TV

Find More Places to Watch Here.

Listen: Supernovas Radio Network / Supernovas App

Match Notes

Season Series: Dallas leads 3-1

All-Time Series: Dallas leads 3-1 (May 1, 2026, last matchup, 3-0 Dallas)

Postseason History: First Meeting

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Scouting Dallas

The Pulse are led by MLV Outside Hitter of the Year and First Team All-League attacker Mimi Colyer. The outside hitter, who starred at Wisconsin and Oregon, finished the regular season as the league in points (523), points per set (5.08), kills (466) and kills per set (4.52), in what has been one of the most impressive individual seasons in MLV history. Even more notable is her .301 hitting percentage on over 1,100 swings, along with 38 blocks and 19 aces.

Sofia Maldonado Diaz forms a lethal duo with Colyer. The Louisville product ranked No. 2 in MLV in points (420), points per set (4.94), kills (405) and kills per set (4.24). A native of Mexico, Maldonado Diaz also finished tied for third in aces (20) and was ranked among the league's top 10 with 42 blocks on the season.

Former Supernovas All-League setter and 2024 MLV champion Natalia Valentín-Anderson orchestrated the league's most potent offense. The Puerto Rico Olympian led MLV with 11.85 assists per set and paces all setters with 3.47 digs per set.

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CHAMPIONSHIP NOTEBOOK

No matter who claims the 2026 MLV Championship on Saturday, the league will crown its first-ever two-time champions.

For Omaha, that list would include Brooke Nuneviller (Omaha, 2024), Sydney Hilley (Omaha, 2024) and Norah TeBrake (Orlando, 2025).

For Dallas, potential two-time champions would be Natalia Valentín-Anderson (Omaha, 2024) and Kendall White (Omaha, 2024).

Hilley is the only player in MLV history to appear in every championship match.

The Supernovas will look to buck the recent championship trend after the No. 2 seed captured the MLV title in each of the past two seasons.

In the 2024 and 2025 championship matches combined, No. 4 seeds were outscored 6-1 in sets.

ROBSON STEPS IN AS INTERIM HEAD COACH

The Omaha Supernovas announced on Tuesday the team has parted ways with Head Coach Luka Slabe and promoted Thomas Robson to interim head coach for the remainder of the 2026 season. Blake Rawlins will remain on staff as assistant coach alongside Robson.

Following the season, Robson will resume his role as assistant coach after signing an extension with the franchise through the 2028 season.

A rising figure in the sport, Robson has played an instrumental role in Omaha's on-court success over the past three seasons, highlighted by the Supernovas winning the inaugural MLV Championship in 2024 and guiding a retooled roster to the 2025 MLV Regular Season Championship.

Robson began his coaching career in the NAIA ranks at Viterbo University as an assistant. The program compiled an 89-19 overall record across his four seasons, including two NAIA national semifinal appearances. He also helped develop nine All-Americans and three regional Players of the Year.

He later joined head coach Kelly Sheffield and the Wisconsin volleyball program as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2022 season, helping the Badgers secure their fourth consecutive Big Ten title and a 28-4 overall record. Wisconsin advanced to the NCAA Regional Final before falling in five sets to Pittsburgh.

KIARA REINHARDT WINS 2026 MLV RISING STAR AWARD

Supernovas rookie middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt was selected for the 2026 MLV Rising Star Award, becoming the third Supernovas player to win a league major award.

Reinhardt's honor comes after Brooke Nuneviller was named the 2025 MLV Outside Hitter of the Year and Betty De La Cruz was awarded the 2024 Server of the Year.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 MLV Draft, Reinhardt has played like a first round pick, ranking sixth in MLV with a .327 hitting percentage on 281 swings while slotting seventh overall in kill percentage with a .431 mark.

Armed with one of the best serves in the league, Reinhardt finished in a tie for third with 21 aces and 0.24 per set on the season. Both of those marks are second-highest in franchise history.

As one of the jewels of the 2026 MLV rookie class, Reinhardt led all rookie middle blockers in most statistical categories, including total points (182), kills (121), digs (53), blocks (40) and aces (21).

CAN YOU DIG IT?

For Supernovas libero Elena Oglivie - yes, she can. Acquired in a blockbuster trade with Grand Rapids on Feb. 13, Oglivie has thrived since arriving in Omaha.

That includes one of the best outings league history: 32 digs in a four-set win at Atlanta on April 2.

The total is the most ever in a MLV four-set match and ties the league single-match record, matching Orlando's Georgia Murphy.

It also sets a new Supernovas franchise record, while her 12 digs in the fourth set mark a new single-set team record.

The Stanford product has produced six 20+ dig performances in 2026 and five of them have come with the Supernovas.

For the season, Oglivie became just the third player in MLV history to record 4.0 digs per set in a season. She joins former Supernovas libero Morgan Hentz (twice) and Kylie Murr, who was with the Vegas Thrill at the time.

Omaha Category Grand Rapids

63 Sets Played 35

257 Digs 135

4.08 Digs Per Set 3.86

49 Assists 20

0.78 Assists Per Set 0.57

PARSONS PACKS A PUNCH

Supernovas outside hitter Sarah Parsons has elevated her play since Omaha's road match at Grand Rapids on March 7, producing numbers that rank among the league's best over that stretch.

Across 37 sets since March 7, Parsons is averaging 4.46 points, 3.84 kills, 2.70 digs and 0.51 blocks per set while hitting .287 on 387 attacks.

During that span, Parsons has totaled 165 points, 142 kills, 100 digs, 19 blocks and four service aces.

The 2016 AVCA National Player of the Year has already etched her name throughout the Supernovas record book. Parsons holds franchise records for most points (21) and kills (18) in a three-set match.

Parsons also owns the franchise single-set records for points (10), kills (10) and attacks (21).

Category Total Per Set

Points 185 4.40

Kills 159 3.79

Digs 108 2.57

Blocks 21 0.50

Hit% 0.274 -

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Omaha Supernovas huddle
Omaha Supernovas huddle
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from May 8, 2026


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