Any nerves Toyosi Onabanjo had during her home debut quickly disappeared when she saw several familiar faces beside her.
The Supernovas’ rookie spotted her former Kansas teammate Reagan Cooper on one side and Jayhawk legend Kelsie Payne on the other. She was also next to her “bench buddy” Ally Batenhorst.
Onabanjo, Omaha’s first-round draft pick, recorded her first professional kill and two blocks. The Supernovas (4-2) earned their second victory over the Columbus Fury in a week with a 25-21, 25-18, 25-17 sweep. The 11,712 fans at the CHI Health Center marked the fifth-largest attendance for a professional match in the United States.
The 6-foot-1 middle blocker said her heart was racing when she checked into the match in the second set.
“I came in shaking. Luckily, I had Reagan and Kelsie there: my Rock Chalk girls,” Onabanjo said. “It was good to just have some people there that I know. Once the flow got going, I was like, ‘Okay, let me relax. Let me breathe.’”
After speaking with the media, Cooper, Onabanjo and coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn, an assistant coach at Kansas from 2011-2017, gave a “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” as they left the press conference.
The match never appeared in doubt for the Supernovas. The latest deficits Omaha faced were 3-2 in the first set and then 4-3 in the second. It never was behind in the third.
Setter Natalia Valentin-Anderson celebrates after a point against Columbus. Photo by John S. Peterson
Cooper finished with eight kills, two blocks and an ace to lead Omaha with 11 points. Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller also tallied eight kills and two blocks. Natalia Valentin-Anderson, a 5-foot-7 setter, recorded 28 assists, 12 digs and led Omaha with three blocks.
Cooper, who won the league’s Rookie of the Year award last season with the Fury, said she felt less nervous tonight than last week when they played in Columbus.
“I felt a lot more comfortable going into this game, but it’s also nerve-wracking because they know my game,” Cooper said. “The coaching staff, they all know how I play, so I had to keep that in mind, and knowing I have to try and change things up so that I can score against them.”
The Fury fell to Omaha in straight sets for the second time this season to drop to 0-6. In Columbus’s other four matches, it claimed a set and reached the fifth set three times.
Fury coach Ángel Pérez credited Omaha for serving tough to keep them off balance. Columbus finished with a .036 hitting percentage after recording 30 kills and 26 hitting errors. The Supernovas’ 13 blocks set a record for a three-set match.
Opposite Morgan Lewis didn’t play in last week’s meeting and led the Fury with eight kills.
Columbus outside hitter Megan Courtney Lush expressed frustration with their results, but she still enjoys playing with her teammates and expects more wins once they finally break through with the first one.
“It sucks to be 0-6,” she said. “We don’t place professional sports to not win, but the group that doesn’t act and doesn’t practice and doesn’t play like we are 0-6. So that’s very reassuring. It’s not like you’re going to work every day and absolutely dreading waking up in the mornings. It’s a pleasure to get to work with this team and the staff every single day, and we are still finding joy in what we do. I imagine that once we get our first (win) under our belts, I think it would be a steamroll coming forward because there’s a lot of pent-up competitiveness.”
Kelsie Payne and Kayla Caffey go up for a block against Columbus. The Supernovas set a team record with 13 blocks in three sets. Photo by John S. Peterson
Onabanjo was part of the rookie contingent that took over the third set. Outside hitter Ally Batenhorst finished the match along with opposite Emily Londot. In addition, middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye made her professional debut.
Kuhn said the young players have earned their opportunities in the match.
“I’m not one that really gets hung up on age,” Kuhn said. “I believe having a core is solid for any team, but any one of them can come in. They know how we train and how we practice. If we go to them at any point in any match, they’re going to go in and do their job.”
A lighter workload on Friday night could benefit the Supernovas in their upcoming match. Omaha faces a quick turnaround, playing Orlando at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Kuhn said they perform well on the road because they all know what to expect.
“I actually think we have a better routine on the road,” she said. “We’re going to wake up tomorrow, go to the airport, get there, go to practice, have dinner, and it’s like we’re in a routine. It’s the way we live these days.”
