The Omaha Supernovas’ offense was good enough to earn their second win against Dallas in the span of a week. However, a slow start, poor serving and passing and a career night from Sofia Maldonado Diaz doomed the Supernovas.
Omaha tied for its third-best attacking performance in franchise history with a .362 hitting percentage. However, the Supernovas finished with a 38% positive passing rate (compared to 48% by Dallas) and committed 15 service errors. It all added up to a five-set loss (25-16, 17-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-11) for the Supernovas Thursday night at CHI Health Center Omaha.
“It’s frustrating, because if you look at numbers, we significantly out-hit the opponent, and when you significantly out-hit the opponent, usually the result of the match is known; you’re probably going to win,” Omaha coach Luka Slabe said. “We’re talking about nearly 100 points. We gave it away with just our serve and pass completely.”
Maldonado Diaz also made life difficult for the Supernovas. She put up a career-best 30 kills on 64 attacks with a .313 hitting percentage. Her fellow outside hitter, Mimi Colyer, added 17 kills for the Pulse, which finished with a .272 hitting percentage and committed 18 unforced hitting errors to go with Omaha’s seven blocks.
Omaha libero Morgan Hentz reacts after Brooke Nuneviller got hit in the face with an attack. Nuneviller returned to the match and led the Supernovas with 14 kills. Photo by John S. Peterson
Maldonado Diaz mixed up her shots to keep Omaha’s defense guessing. The 6-foot outside hitter’s most successful attack targeted the opposite front corner, but she also used tips, jam shots and throws when the Supernovas adjusted.
As the kills started to pile up, her all-around game improved as well.
“I started getting confident with other skills too, not just hitting,” Maldonado Diaz said. “I started passing well, so it got me in rhythm, too. I could hear everybody through the rally and having these options of shots and hitting cross, hitting deep, tipping — helped me build my confidence.”
The Supernovas’ offense didn’t dip much from their meeting last week on Feb. 5, when they posted a franchise-best .391 hitting percentage during a sweep in Dallas. However, the Pulse (6-3) changed up its defensive lineup and set the tone from the service line in the first set.
After an Omaha service error broke a 9-all tie in the first set, Colyer served five straight points, including two aces. The Supernovas responded with a pair of kills, but after another missed serve, Caroline Meuth tacked on two more points and put the Pulse up 18-11 on another ace.
The Supernovas (7-4) committed six service errors in the first set while hitting just .174.
Omaha outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller said it was frustrating how slow they started because they have a lot of talent but weren’t in the right mindset.
“I would look around in every single person’s eyes — we just looked defeated,” she said. “You can be really quiet and tame and play in your own way and still be the aggressor. They came out and attacked us.”
Toyosi Onabanjo goes for an attack against the Dallas Pulse. The Omaha middle blocker finished with 10 kills and four blocks. Photo by John S. Peterson
Both those numbers turned around in the second set. Kiara Reinhardt notched back-to-back aces and then forced an overpass that Toyosi Onabanjo put away to give Omaha a 4-1 lead in the second set. The Supernovas never trailed in the set as they terminated at a .481 clip.
Slabe said those early aces from Reinhardt helped the Supernovas reset and build momentum that they carried throughout the rest of the set.
“Now we can breathe, and once you can breathe, it’s a snowball effect,” he said.
Omaha appeared to be in control in the third set as it led 16-13, but Colyer and Maldonado Diaz took over. Colyer recorded back-to-back kills. After trading a couple of sideouts, Colyer went back to the service line and reeled off a 5-0 run that featured three kills from Maldonado Diaz. Eventually, Kaylee Cox ended the set with an ace serve.
Merritt Beason delivered the big serves in the fourth set for Omaha. After trailing 13-9, the Supernovas rallied and led 20-18 when Beason subbed in for Emily Londot and served four more points, including a pair of aces. Onabanjo eventually delivered set point on a slide attack.
Onabanjo credited Beason with coming in during a critical moment and delivering big serves to ignite the crowd of 9,828 fans late in the fourth set.
“We call her the textbook server,” Onabanjo said. “For her to come out, get those two aces and keep us rolling, I thought that was great.”
Omaha opposite Emily Londot goes for a tip against Dallas Thursday night. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Maldonado Diaz proved to be too much for Omaha in the fifth set. She recorded seven kills in the final frame, including one on match point. Three of those came during a 7-2 run that turned a 4-2 deficit into a 9-6 advantage for the Pulse that it never relinquished.
Colyer also finished with four aces for the Pulse while Cox added nine kills on 18 attacks.
“Sophia and Mimi have had so much growth as outside hitters in just their selection of shots,” Dallas coach Shannon Winzer said. “They’re more multi-dimensional hitters than we were a few weeks ago, and that’s awesome.”
After the match, Nuneviller, who led Omaha with 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, said they needed to fight harder from the first serve. She credited Onabanjo for setting the tone and pulling the team with her. Onabanjo tied her season high with 10 kills and four blocks and set a new career best with a .667 hitting percentage.
“She’s just fearless. We need more players like that,” Nuneviller said. “That’s why you lose fifth sets — whoever’s more fearless in the fifth set (wins), whether that’s passing aggressively, whether that’s defense, nothing hits the ground. She’s taking huge rips on not-perfect situations, and she’s going after blocks. You could see it in her eyes this whole match.”
Sydney Hilley finished with 45 assists and six digs for Omaha. Reinhardt added seven kills on 11 swings while Londot put up 13 kills and a team-high nine digs.
Reagan Cooper jousts for the ball with Dallas opposite Kaylee Cox. Cooper finished with six kills in three sets of action. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Outside hitter Reagan Cooper played the first three sets before Sarah Parsons replaced her for the final two frames, totaling three kills. Cooper’s attack had powered Omaha during a five-match winning streak, but she only had six kills on 19 attacks Thursday.
Natalia Valentin-Anderson recorded 49 assists and 16 digs in her return to her hometown. The Dallas setter played her first two years with the Supernovas, including the 2024 championship season. She had a large cheering section in the stands, and Omaha played a tribute video between sets to recognize her contributions to the franchise.
“It’s just nice to be back and see some familiar faces. The relationships that I built in two years, that’s what I miss the most,” Valentin-Anderson said. “I prepare for every match the same. So for me, it’s just another opportunity I get to be on the court, and I’m grateful for that.”
