Story by Omaha Supernovas Communication
OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established Professional Volleyball Federation, are excited to announce the official roster for Omaha’s first-ever Training Camp from January 3 through January 22.
Training Camp will help determine the Supernovas’ 14-person roster for the first season of the Pro Volleyball Federation which starts on January 24 with Omaha hosting the Atlanta Vibe at 7 p.m. at the CHI Health Center. Both single match and season tickets are now available on Supernovas.com.
The Supernovas will invite 22 dynamic players from around the country to compete for one of 14 active roster spots for the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation. There will also be two more additional roster spots for college draftees to become practice players.
Omaha’s roster features talent from around the globe with multiple All-Americans, NCAA National Champions and Olympians. The roster invites include Bethania De La Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Allison Mayfield, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Jess Schaben-Lansman, Jazz Schmidt, Natalia Valentin-Anderson, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.
Due to overseas obligations, Hristina Vuchkova will join the team in February.
The Supernovas have also signed its first group of college draftees including Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs, Arkansas opposite Maggie Cartwright, James Madison middle blocker Sophie Davis and Nebraska native and Auburn middle Kyla Swanson.
"It’s an exciting time for our Supernovas franchise, staff and all of our players,” Head Coach Shelton Collier said. “We open training camp with a mix of experienced veterans and talented young players. We are really looking forward to having a high-level training camp. Our support staff and admin team have been tremendous which has allowed us as coaches to really zone in on what we need to do in the gym. Our players are fired up and ready, which is exciting for all of us."
Amber Igiede, who was selected No. 7 overall, will be playing overseas.
Omaha has also invited former Western Michigan outside hitter Maggie King to Training Camp. The Cincinnati, Ohio native left the Broncos as one of the most prolific players in program history. King was a four-time All-MAC selection across her five seasons.
King finished her career with 1,849 kills, 913 digs, 143 blocks and 120 aces in 146 matches. Her kill total stands at No. 2 overall in the career record book for the Broncos with her 3.50 kills per set career average sixth. She’s also the program’s all-time leader in career attempts (5,223) and second in career points (2,052).
Emma Willis rounds out the Supernovas roster as another invitee. The former Denver University middle blocker spent all four seasons with the Pioneers. Willis was a premier blocker during her college career that spanned from 2015-2018 as she recorded 381 total blocks. Following her career at Denver, Willis spent a pair of seasons playing for the Zesar VFM Franches-Montagnes professional team in Switzerland.
Supernovas Training Camp will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Lied Fitness Center at the College of Saint Mary.
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 Thrill. Three expansion teams, Dallas Pro Volleyball, Kansas City Pro Volleyball and Indianapolis Pro Volleyball have been announced for 2025. The Supernovas will have 12 home and 12 away matches as part of a 24-match schedule across a 16-week regular season.
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.