Supernovas Host San Diego, Then Open Three-Match Road Swing at Grand Rapids
MLV Omaha Supernovas

Supernovas Host San Diego, Then Open Three-Match Road Swing at Grand Rapids

Published on January 29, 2026 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Omaha Supernovas News Release


Omaha Supernovas celebration
Omaha Supernovas celebration
(Omaha Supernovas)

OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha Supernovas, the world's leading professional volleyball franchise, look to build on momentum from a pivotal road win last weekend as they return to Kiewit Court at the CHI Health Center on Friday, Jan. 30, to host the San Diego Mojo on National Girls and Women in Sports Night at 7 p.m. CST. Following the matchup, Omaha will begin its longest road trip of the season, opening a three-match swing Sunday, Feb. 1, against the Grand Rapids Rise at Van Andel Arena at 3 p.m. CST.

The match against the Mojo will be broadcast statewide on Nebraska Public Media and out-of-state viewers can stream the match on the MLV YouTube channel.

Friday's match sponsor is gorjana.

With anticipation building for the largest Supernovas crowd of the 2026 season, gorjana will also offer fans the chance to win exclusive giveaways during the match.

Following the match, a 45-minute autograph session will feature Supernovas stars and gorjana athletes Brooke Nuneviller and Merritt Beason, with Brooke and Merritt gifting fans in line a $25 gorjana gift card, while supplies last and limited to one per household.

In addition, Friday will also be the debut of a brand-new Supernovas alternate jersey.

Sunday's match will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, marking Omaha's second appearance on national TV this season.

Both matches can be heard on the Supernovas Radio Network, headlined by flagship station KCRO 660 AM, with coverage airing across the Midwest and streaming worldwide.

...

Match Details vs. San Diego

Matchup: Omaha Supernovas (3-3) vs. San Diego Mojo (1-4)

When: Friday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. CST

Where: Kiewit Court at CHI Health Center, Omaha, Neb.

Watch: Nebraska Public Media / MLV YouTube Channel

Listen: Supernovas Radio Network / Supernovas App

Season Series: Second of four meetings, second of two at CHI Health Center

All-Time Series: Omaha leads 6-4 (Jan. 8, 2026, last matchup, 3-0 Omaha)

...

Match Details vs. Grand Rapids

Matchup: Omaha Supernovas (3-3) at Grand Rapids Rise (2-2)

When: Sunday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. CST

Where: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Watch: CBS Sports Network (Cable Subscription Required)

Listen: Supernovas Radio Network / Supernovas App

Season Series: First of four meetings, one of two at Van Andel Arena

All-Time Series: Omaha leads 8-1 (May 2, 2025, last matchup, 3-1 Omaha)

...

The Supernovas are coming off an important road win at the Indy Ignite, snapping the first three-match losing streak in franchise history. Omaha posted a season-high .362 hitting percentage, which ranks as the second-highest single-match clip in team history. The Supernovas also set a new four-set franchise record with 16 blocks, highlighted by rookie Kiara Reinhardt's six stuffs, which tied the individual four-set blocking record.

Outside hitter Reagan Cooper shined in her first start of the 2026 campaign, matching a Supernovas career-high 19 points after finishing with 17 kills, six digs, one block and one ace while hitting an impressive .429. Nuneviller continued her dominant start to the season, totaling 18 kills and 10 digs while hitting .440 for her fourth double-double of the year.

San Diego enters the weekend eighth in MLV with a 1-4 record. After opening the season 0-3, the Mojo earned their first win with a five-set victory over the Atlanta Vibe before falling in four sets to Grand Rapids on Jan. 23. The Supernovas account for one of San Diego's four losses, having swept the Mojo in the season opener Jan. 8 in Omaha.

San Diego is led by first-year head coach Alisha Childress, a four-time NCAA champion and Olympic bronze medalist. The Mojo are hitting .196 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .259. Outside hitter Grace Loberg has been San Diego's primary offensive weapon, recording 73 kills on a .216 clip to go with 65 digs and six blocks. The Mojo also features Puerto Rico Olympian Libero Shara Venegas. The 2025 Most Inspirational Player of the Year leads MLV with 4.05 digs per set and has posted at least 15 digs in four of the team's five matches this season.

Like Omaha, Grand Rapids opens the fourth week of MLV at .500 with a 2-2 record. After a five-set loss to defending champion Orlando and a sweep by Atlanta, the Rise responded with back-to-back wins over the Columbus Fury and San Diego. Grand Rapids is led by head coach Cathy George, who has been with the Rise since the franchise's inaugural season in 2024. Grand Rapids is hitting .210 as a team while holding opponents to a .225 efficiency.

Former Supernovas outside hitter Paige Briggs-Romine has been a key contributor for the Rise in all aspects. Recently named MLV Player of the Week, she leads the league in passing and paces Grand Rapids with 55 kills. She has recorded double-digit kills in every match this season and is hitting .260 with two aces, nine blocks and 54 digs. Veteran middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan is another impact presence with 28 kills on a .316 clip and a team-high 12 blocks.

...

DEFYING THE PASS

The Supernovas win over Indy last Saturday was a historic performance, marking just the 14th time in MLV history that a team has posted a positive pass percentage of 35% or lower.

Of those 14 matches, only four teams have gone on to win - and Omaha accounts for two of them.

Among all 14 performances, the Supernovas are the only team to hit above .300, doing so by a wide margin and outpacing the next closest team by 77 percentage points. (San Diego, 0.285)

The match also marked just the fifth time in the 14 contests that a team recorded double-digit blocks, and Omaha's 16 are the most of any of those five matches.

Of the six teams that have posted a positive pass percentage of 35% or lower, only three have won their match and Omaha is the only unbeaten team among them (2-0).

BLOCK PARTY REVIVAL

The Supernovas block came alive last weekend, posting a four-set franchise-record 16 blocks against Indy after recording 10 against the Fury.

Rookie Kiara Reinhardt tied a four-set franchise record with six blocks, while Toyosi Onabanjo set a new career high with four stuffs.

Omaha recorded 30 total blocks across its first four matches, then followed with 26 rejections last weekend alone.

Omaha's 16 blocks marked the 51st match in MLV history in which a team tallied at least 15 blocks. Those teams own a combined 36-15 record.

Among those 51 matches, only 11 teams have passed at a 40% positive rate or lower. Omaha's 35% ranks as the second lowest in that group

Additionally, Omaha's performance Saturday is one of only two in that 51-match group to produce a team hitting percentage above .300, and the Supernovas' .362 is the highest of the two.

NUNEVILLER'S MVP-CALIBER START

Supernovas outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller has fired out for her best start to a season in her professional career, tallying four double doubles in her first six matches.

Entering Thursday, Nuneviller leads MLV in points (115), kills (108) and ranks fourth in total digs with 77.

She's also the only player in the league with more than 100 kills and is one of only three players to have triple-digit points.

The Oregon product has posted at least 19 points in five-straight matches, including a Supernovas career high 27 kills and 28 kills in the five-set loss to Orlando on January 18. It is the most dominant stretch of her professional career.

Her 115 points across the first few weeks of the 2026 season marks the best start for Nuneviller in her Supernovas career. For comparison, she collected 102 points through the first six matches in 2025, and 88 points in 2024. That'sa 31%-point growth from 2024 to 2026.

CHANNELING THE SAME MOJO

Former Mojo middle Leyla Blackwell reunites with a pair of San Diego teammates from 2025: Shara Venegas & Maya Tabron.

San Diego 2025 first round pick Hayden Kubik played two seasons at Nebraska, overlapping with Omaha's Merritt Beason in 2023 when the Huskers reached the NCAA National Championship match.

2025 Omaha middle blocker Kayla Caffey returns to CHI for the second time. She was teammates with Brooke Nuneviller, Reagan Cooper, Allison Holder, Toyosi Onabanjo, and Emily Londot.

Mojo point leader Grace Loberg takes on five-year Wisconsin teammate Sydney Hilley. Both aided the Badgers to their first-ever NCAA National Championship in 2021.

Nuneviller spent four seasons at Oregon with Mojo opposite Morgan Lewis. Plus, Lewis played alongside Omaha middle Janice Leao in Columbus for the 2025 MLV campaign.

Speaking of Columbus, libero Kate Georgiades joined Lewis and Leao in Ohio for 2025 as a rookie.

San Diego middle blocker Mckenna Vicini has deep ties with the Supernovas roster. She shared the court with Morgan Hentz and Merritt Beason last season in Atlanta while joining Hentz at Stanford to help the Cardinal win the 2019 national championship.

Mojo setter Marlie Monserez played with Hentz in Atlanta for two seasons and Beason for the 2025 campaign.

San Diego middle Karis Watson also spent time with Hentz as they both played for Atlanta in the inaugural 2024 MLV season.

A pair of 2025 MLV Champions reunite in Omaha's Norah TeBrake and San Diego's Shannon Scully, who played for Orlando last season.

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



Images from this story

Omaha Supernovas celebration
Omaha Supernovas celebration
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from January 29, 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