Supernovas Draw 11,212 in Loss to Dallas
MLV Omaha Supernovas

Supernovas Draw 11,212 in Loss to Dallas

Published on April 12, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Omaha Supernovas News Release


Omaha Supernovas huddle
Omaha Supernovas huddle
(Omaha Supernovas)

OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha Supernovas celebrated their 21st five-digit crowd Sunday at Kiewit Court, drawing 11,212 fans at the CHI Health Center, but the Dallas Pulse (17-6) used a 25-21, 25-21, 25-22 sweep to clinch a spot in the MLV postseason, which will be held at their home arena in May.

The attendance stands as the 15th-largest crowd in U.S. pro volleyball history, with the Supernovas (11-13) now accounting for each of the top 20 marks.

"Having fans that come cheer you on even when you're down a little bit and that comes and supports us all the time. It's awesome," Novas setter Brooke Mosher said. "It's awesome to be able to run out of the tunnel and hear those cheers. It gets you pumped up every single time and hearing them after we get a good save or a good kill really keeps us going."

Taking over setting duties in the third set, Mosher finished with 15 assists and eight digs as the offense recorded its best hitting percentage of the afternoon (.262), with the rookie orchestrating the attack. Starter Sydney Hilley totaled 16 assists, two digs and one kill in two sets of action.

Veteran outside hitter Sarah Parsons paced the Omaha offense for the second straight contest with a team-leading 13 points on 11 kills, one block and one ace, along with five digs. Opposite Emily Londot was the only other Novas player to reach double-digit points, finishing with 10 on eight kills and two blocks along with five digs. Reagan Cooper recorded five kills in two sets, Merritt Beason added four kills on 12 swings, and Brooke Nuneviller tooled the Pulse block for three points.

Earning her first career Supernovas start after a breakout match Friday, Leyla Blackwell delivered another strong performance with four kills on a .400 hitting percentage and two blocks. Janice Leao started as the other Omaha middle blocker and totaled four points on three kills and one block. Libero Elena Oglivie continued to build on her league-leading digs-per-set average with 13 digs in three sets (4.33) and three assists.

The Supernovas finished with a .202 hitting percentage, along with six blocks, one ace, 38 assists, 39 kills and 45 digs.

Dallas was led by the MVP-caliber duo of outside hitters Sofia Maldonado Diaz and Mimi Colyer. Maldonado Diaz produced a match-high 22 points on 21 kills (.333) and one block. Colyer added 19 points on 18 kills (.405) and the team's lone ace. Former Supernovas middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord led all players with four blocks, while Kaylee Cox recorded eight kills and 11 digs.

The Pulse hit .320 as a team and finished with 10 blocks, one ace, 53 assists, 53 kills and 58 digs.

The Supernovas hit the road for a two-match trip with significant postseason implications, beginning Thursday, April 16, against the Orlando Valkyries at 6 p.m. CDT on the Roku Sports Channel. The Novas then face the Atlanta Vibe on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. CDT on the MLV YouTube Channel. Both matches can also be heard on the Supernovas Radio Network, led by flagship station KCRO 660 AM.

"We're still in it. We still have a shot," interim head coach Thomas Robson said. "That's the fortunate part of this. It wasn't a win-or-go-home situation, but it definitely puts a lot more pressure on us going into this away week."

Key Notes

- Sunday's crowd of 11,212 marks the 16th in franchise history with 11,000 or more in attendance.

- With five points, Reagan Cooper eclipsed 500 career points with the Supernovas. The third-year pro ranks No. 2 on the franchise's all-time points list behind Brooke Nuneviller.

- Sarah Parsons has now recorded double-digit point totals in six straight matches dating back to March 7 in Grand Rapids.

- Leyla Blackwell had a memorable weekend, totaling 14 kills on a .429 hitting percentage and four blocks across both matches and seven sets.

...

Set 1: The match began with a long rally that Maldonado Diaz put away for the first point of the afternoon. Hord recorded a block to tie the score at two apiece. Colyer swung from the left side and found the floor instantly, but her efforts were followed by back-to-back hitting errors that put the Novas ahead 4-3. Kills from Karson Bacon and Colyer allowed Dallas to execute a three-point run and take a 6-4 lead. Parsons halted the Pulse's momentum. Dallas and Omaha traded kills, including from both Hord and Parsons, making it 9-8 Pulse. The Pulse used Maldonado Diaz and Bacon for another three-point run to stretch the advantage to 12-8. Out of a Supernovas timeout, Parsons and Blackwell added consecutive kills. After a service error, Londot responded with a right-side kill to pull within two at 13-11. Colyer posted two more kills, and Bacon terminated for another 3-0 run to put Dallas ahead 16-12 at the media timeout. Maldonado Diaz continued the Pulse's push with a kill to extend the lead to five. The Supernovas then capitalized on three consecutive Dallas errors to close the gap to 17-15. Colyer and Beason exchanged kills, but back-to-back Colyer kills made it 19-16. Kaylee Cox got involved with her first kill of the set to force the second Supernovas timeout with Dallas leading 20-16. Colyer continued to apply pressure with an ace. The MLV No. 1 overall pick followed with a service error, but Cox sided out to keep the advantage at five. A pair of Pulse errors gave the Novas life, as Londot capped a 3-0 Omaha run with a block to force a Dallas timeout at 22-20. The Pulse silenced the crowd at CHI Health Center with kills from Cox and Maldonado Diaz to reach set point. Blackwell's block extended the set, but an Omaha net violation gave the Pulse a 25-21 opening-set victory.

The Supernovas hit .200 as a team and recorded two blocks, as Parsons, Blackwell and Londot each tied for the team high with three points. The Dallas offense hit .378 with three blocks and Colyer's ace. The Wisconsin draftee posted eight points in the set, while Maldonado Diaz followed with seven.

Set 2: Cooper opened with a massive kill from the left side, and a Londot block put the Supernovas ahead 2-0 early. Colyer and Hord answered with consecutive points, and Dallas took its first lead of the set on a Novas hitting error at 3-2. The Supernovas followed a Pulse service error with a Leao block before Londot and Maldonado Diaz traded kills to keep Omaha ahead 7-5. After a Parsons termination, Maldonado Diaz found the floor with a big swing, which Hilley answered with a setter dump to maintain a 9-7 advantage. Dallas responded with Colyer and Kelsie Payne tallying two kills and a block while capitalizing on an Omaha hitting error to take an 11-9 lead after a 4-0 run. Cooper ended the Supernovas' slump with a kill, and Londot cut the deficit to one with another point. Maldonado Diaz answered with a block and kill to extend the Pulse lead to 14-12. Parsons sided out for the Novas, but kills from Payne and Maldonado Diaz sent the match into the media timeout with Dallas leading 16-12. Blackwell and Parsons kept the Supernovas within striking distance with a kill apiece, but a Maldonado Diaz back-row kill kept the Pulse ahead 18-14. After a Dallas hitting error, Leao and Beason sparked a run with a Leao block and Beason kill to bring the Novas within one at 18-17. Out of the timeout, Colyer recorded a kill, and the Pulse used back-to-back Supernovas hitting errors to push the lead back to four at 21-17. Two Cooper kills were split by a Colyer kill before Maldonado Diaz gave Dallas set point. Blackwell came up with another block, but Maldonado Diaz again powered a kill through the defense to give the Pulse a 25-21 second-set win and a 2-0 match lead.

The Supernovas offense hit .149 and recorded four blocks. Londot led the team with five points on four kills and a block. The Pulse were more limited than in the opening set, hitting .238 with four blocks. Maldonado Diaz led all players with nine points.

Set 3: Maldonado Diaz opened with a kill to give Dallas a 1-0 lead, but Parsons answered with back-to-back kills, including a tip from the left side. Hord, Cox and Colyer each recorded a kill to give the Pulse a 4-2 advantage. Leao and Blackwell cut the deficit in half with points of their own, but a Maldonado Diaz kill and a Natalia Valentín-Anderson block pushed the lead to 8-5. A Dallas service error ended the run, but Omaha followed with a service error, and Colyer added a kill for a 10-6 lead. Another Maldonado Diaz kill stretched the advantage to five. Hord roofed an Omaha attack between kills from Londot and Parsons. Another Supernovas service error and a Maldonado Diaz kill made it 15-9 Dallas. Londot and Parsons recorded kills for a mini run before Maldonado Diaz sent the match into the media timeout at 16-11 with another point. The Novas came out of the break with a 4-0 run, fueled by two Pulse errors, a Parsons ace and a Nuneviller kill. Colyer sided out, but a Dallas service error pulled Omaha within one at 17-16. The Pulse responded with a 3-0 run, fueled by kills from Maldonado Diaz, Cox and Colyer. Nuneviller tooled the block on consecutive swings, but a Cox block ended the run. Beason and Cox combined for the next four points with two kills each before Colyer gave Dallas match point. Beason sided out to extend the match, but Colyer's attack deflected off a Novas defender for a 25-22 set win and a sweep of the Supernovas.

Omaha hit .262 in the set, as Parsons led with five kills on 12 swings with one error. Dallas hit .333 as a team, with Colyer leading the way with seven points.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Images from this story

Omaha Supernovas huddle
Omaha Supernovas huddle
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from April 12, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central