Supernovas Fall in Five-Set Thriller to Vibe
MLV Omaha Supernovas

Supernovas Fall in Five-Set Thriller to Vibe

Published on January 17, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Omaha Supernovas News Release


Omaha Supernovas' Brooke Nuneviller versus Atlanta Vibe's Shannon Shields
Omaha Supernovas' Brooke Nuneviller versus Atlanta Vibe's Shannon Shields
(Omaha Supernovas)

OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha Supernovas, the world's leading professional volleyball franchise, jumped out to a 2-0 set lead but could not hold off a surging Atlanta Vibe (2-1) in a 25-23, 25-17, 20-25, 22-25, 6-15 five-set loss Friday night on Kiewit Court in the CHI Health Center in front of 9,610 fans.

Reigning Outside Hitter of the Year Brooke Nuneviller tallied a team-high 20 points as part of an 18-kill, 10-dig double-double. She also added two blocks and one assist. Sarah Parsons recorded 14 kills and 15 digs, along with two blocks and an ace, to finish with 17 points. Opposite Merritt Beason had her best night of the 2026 campaign against the team that drafted her No. 1 overall last season, posting season highs in points (16), kills (16) and assists (2). Her defensive strides continued to show as the former Nebraska All-American totaled 12 digs, joining Nuneviller and libero Morgan Hentz as the only Supernovas to open the season with double-digit digs in all three matches.

Hentz led all players with 16 digs and added eight assists. Setter Sydney Hilley finished with 49 assists, 11 digs and two kills.

First-year pro middle blocker Elise Goetzinger continued to find success on the slide, registering nine kills on a .294 hitting percentage. She also added one block and one ace for 11 points. Janice Leao started the first three sets and logged two kills, two blocks, two digs and one ace. Leyla Blackwell made her season debut in the fourth and fifth sets, recording two kills.

Overall, the Supernovas (2-1) hit .175 with seven blocks, three aces, 67 digs and 61 assists.

Atlanta's Leah Edmond reminded MLV why she was named MVP in 2024, finishing with 21 kills on a .419 hitting percentage, 12 digs, three blocks and one ace while posting a team-high 57 percent positive passing rate. Outside hitter Pia Timmer (12) and opposite Anna Dixon (12) also reached double figures for the Vibe. Atlanta hit .287 with 18 blocks, four aces, 70 digs and 57 assists.

Omaha returns to action Sunday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. CST for Farmers Appreciation as it hosts the Orlando Valkyries (2-0) at Kiewit Court at the CHI Health Center. The match will air on CBS Sports Network and be carried statewide on the Supernovas Radio Network.

Key notes

The Supernovas drew 9,610 fans Friday, making it the 18th most-attended professional volleyball match in U.S. history and surpassing the 2026 season opener.

Omaha has now hosted 21 of the top 22 most-attended pro volleyball matches in U.S. history.

Parsons recorded at least 14 kills for the third consecutive match.

Beason tied the franchise record for single-set points (10) and kills (10), which came in the second set.

Friday marked just the fourth time in franchise history the Supernovas have been reverse swept. Entering the match, Omaha was 38-3 when winning the first two sets.

Atlanta set a new opponent record with 17 service errors.

The Vibe recorded the second-most blocks in a match against the Supernovas with 18.

The Supernovas have been blocked 35 times over the past two matches, the most in a two-match stretch in franchise history.

...

Set One: Omaha opened the match with an ace for a quick lead. The Supernovas built a 10-3 advantage behind kills from Hilley, Nuneviller and Parsons. The run came to a halt with back-to-back kills by Timmer and middle blocker Khori Louis. Goetzinger and Nuneviller responded to maintain a seven-point lead at 12-5. Service and hitting errors allowed the gap to close to 13-10. Parsons and Leao answered immediately after another Atlanta kill to keep a steady edge at 15-11. After trading attacking and service errors, the set intensified as the Supernovas went on a run with kills from Parsons, Goetzinger and two consecutive points from Beason to take control at 23-17. The Vibe responded with five straight kills to close the gap to 23-22, but Nuneviller closed the set with back-to-back kills for a 25-23 win.

Omaha hit .136 in the opening set with two blocks and one ace. Nuneviller totaled a team-high four kills. Atlanta hit .156 with three blocks and one ace. Dixon recorded five of her 12 kills in the set.

Set Two: The teams exchanged early kills and hitting errors before Goetzinger gave Omaha a 6-3 edge. A Supernovas service error allowed Atlanta to capitalize and tie the set on blocks from Dixon and No. 2 overall draft pick Ava Martin. Parsons answered with a kill, and the Supernovas pulled away with four straight kills from Beason, three from Goetzinger and two more from Parsons to build a 19-12 lead. Dixon and Edmond led the Vibe charge, but it was not enough against the aggressive offense from Nuneviller, Beason and Parsons, who all recorded kills to reach set point at 24-17. Leao finished the frame with a kill from the middle for a 25-17 win.

Beason went nuclear, trying the franchise record for single-set points (10) and kills (10) while hitting .643. The Supernovas hit .432 with one block and one ace. The Vibe posted a .294 hitting percentage with two blocks.

Set Three: Atlanta opened the set with a service error, but Edmond answered with a kill. After an Omaha service error and an Atlanta challenge, the score was back tied at two. The Vibe then took control with kills from Edmond and Timmer and a block from Raven Colvin. Omaha answered with kills from Beason and Nuneviller. The teams traded points before Omaha took a one-point lead on a Parsons kill. Atlanta tied the set with an Edmond kill. An ace from Leao and a Nuneviller kill gave the Supernovas a 12-10 advantage, but Colvin, Dixon and Edmond all followed with kills to tie the set at 13. With the score tied at 18, an Omaha error gave the Vibe a 19-18 lead. Edmond added another kill for a 21-19 advantage, and a Nuneviller attack sailed wide to force an Omaha timeout trailing 22-19. After the break, Averi Carlson and Beason traded service errors before a Dixon block gave Atlanta set point. A Beason attack error sealed a 25-20 win for the Vibe.

Omaha finished the set with 10 errors and 12 kills for a .047 clip. Nuneviller led the team with five kills, while the team totaled one ace and one block. Atlanta hit .379 with five blocks and one ace. Edmond went five of seven for a .714 hitting percentage.

Set Four: Omaha opened with a service error, but Nuneviller answered with two kills to tie the set at three. Capitalizing on an Atlanta service error, Goetzinger and Nuneviller helped the Supernovas take a brief lead before the Vibe responded with a three-point run that included two service aces. After trading service errors, Goetzinger and Parsons recorded kills to tie the set at nine. Atlanta took advantage of more Omaha service errors and added another ace to go up 12-10. Parsons tallied back-to-back kills to tie the set again, but Edmond answered with two of her own to give the Vibe a 15-12 lead. Blackwell sparked an Omaha run with a kill, and Nuneviller followed with three straight points to tie the set at 16. The teams traded points down the stretch, with kills from Nuneviller, Parsons and Goetzinger, while Colvin, Timmer and Edmond responded for Atlanta. A Vibe attack error and a Parsons kill tied the set at 20. Atlanta answered with three straight kills. After a service error, Nuneviller recorded a kill, but Edmond followed with another, and a Parsons attack error forced a fifth set following a 25-22 Atlanta win.

Omaha hit .256 in the set with two blocks. Nuneviller posted six kills on 12 swings with no errors. Atlanta hit .333 with three blocks, two aces and a match-high seven kills.

Set Five: The teams traded early points before Atlanta rattled off five straight to build a 7-2 lead. Nuneviller halted the run, but the Vibe regained control with kills from Colvin and Timmer to go ahead 11-4. Goetzinger added a kill to slow the momentum, but Atlanta closed the match on Louis' second block of the night to complete the reverse sweep.

Omaha hit minus-.100 in the final set with five errors. Goetzinger led the team with two points. Atlanta hit .375 with five blocks, which accounted for a third of its points. Timmer and Edmond combined for six of the team's eight kills.

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Images from this story

Omaha Supernovas' Brooke Nuneviller versus Atlanta Vibe's Shannon Shields
Omaha Supernovas' Brooke Nuneviller versus Atlanta Vibe's Shannon Shields
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from January 17, 2026


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