Story by Omaha Supernovas Communication
OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established Professional Volleyball Federation, has announced the addition of Brooke Smith to the Human Performance Team as Head Nutritionist.
Smith is a registered dietitian and licensed medical nutrition therapist. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Smith received her bachelor's degree in dietetics before collecting her master's in nutrition and exercise physiology.
Smith marks the third member of the Human Performance Team, which includes Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Laura Pilakowski Buttermore and team psychologist Doctor Larry Widman. That group is led by Head Team Physician Dr. Jaime Seeman, who was announced earlier this week.
“I am incredibly honored to join the Supernovas as a member of the Human Performance Team. I take a lot of pride in and am committed to forming authentic relationships with both the athletes and staff to maximize health, wellbeing, performance, and program success," Smith said. “I strongly believe implementing effective nutritional strategies is crucial to optimize elite athletes' physical and mental performance, as well as expedite recovery between training and competition. I can’t wait to get started.”
Smith is a former college volleyball player who competed from 2015-2018. Smith helped Nebraska win its fourth national championship in 2015 during her freshman season. After her sophomore season in Lincoln, the Texas native transferred to Kansas State for her junior campaign before returning to Nebraska for her final season in which the Huskers would lose to Stanford in the 2018 national title match. Smith was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree during her time with the Huskers while being a part of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team three times.
Smith brings a strong body of work to the Supernovas as she is the current dietician for the University of Nebraska-Omaha's hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and volleyball programs. She’s also worked with high school, collegiate and professional athletes across 11 different sports.
In July of 2021, Smith founded Team 8 Nutrition to provide individualized nutrition support to enhance athletic performance, overall wellness, and help individuals cultivate success. While her business mostly serves athletes in the Lincoln and Omaha area, Smith’s outreach extends to various states across the country.
Smith is married to her husband, Matt Snyder, who played for the Nebraska football team from 2015-2018. Smith’s family has a strong athletic background as her mother, Janine Gremmel Smith, played volleyball for the University of Texas and helped the Longhorns win a national championship in 1988. Her dad, Warren Smith, was a pole vaulter and decathlete at Texas. Smith’s younger sister, Natalie, was a libero for the University of Michigan from 2017-2020.
REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.
The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas, Atlanta Vibe, Orlando Valkyries, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, San Diego Mojo and Vegas Pro Volleyball. Two expansion teams, Dallas Pro Volleyball and Kansas City Pro Volleyball, have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.
The Supernovas will play 12 home matches and 12 away matches, for a total of 24 matches in the 16-week regular season. The full schedule is available on the team’s website, Supernovas.com. After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship in May. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.
The current Supernovas world-class roster includes Olympians, U.S. National Team veterans, NCAA National Champions and All-Americans, to include Anna Church, Gabby Curry, Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Allison Mayfield, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Jess Schaben-Lansman, Maddie Squiers, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.
Season Tickets are available at the team’s website and on the team’s app, available for download on smartphones and tablets.
ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS
The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.