To open his post-match press conference, Omaha Supernovas coach Luka Slabe thanked the 8,014 fans who for showing up to cheer on his team Thursday night.
However, for the sixth time this season, the home crowd went home disappointed as Omaha dropped another match at the CHI Health Center.
This time, the Supernovas lost to Atlanta 25-20, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, bringing their home record to 2-6 on the season. Last year, Omaha went 10-4 at home after posting a 9-3 record in 2024 while winning the league championship at the CHI Health Center.
Omaha Supernova Kiara Reinhardt cheers as Reagan Cooper, left, reacts after a point against Atlanta. Photo by Brandon Tiedemann.
Slabe said he didn’t have any explanation for why the Supernovas have struggled so much at home this season. He said it is a good burden to play in front of the league’s largest crowds, as they would rather face that pressure than play in front of mostly empty seats.
“Sometimes, if you talk about it too much, things get even heavier,” Slabe said. “We’re just trying to keep our heads down and let’s go back to work and try to figure it out the best we can, knowing that we just need a little bit more consistency.”
While home wins have been hard to come by — both victories came over San Diego — Omaha has gone 5-1 on the road.
Setter Sydney Hilley said they might play more freely on the road, but they need to manage expectations better.
“We put the pressure on ourselves because we want to win for our fans. We know winning means a lot to them and this franchise,” she said. “When we go into practice every day, we’re playing so well, and we have to find a way to get that on our home court and make these fans a home-court advantage for us.”
On the other side, the Vibe picked up their second victory in Omaha this season. In its first trip to town, Atlanta pulled off a reverse sweep on Jan. 16.
Omaha libero Elena Oglivie goes for a dig in her home debut for the Supernovas. She finished with 14 digs. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Vibe coach Kayla Banwarth said the two matches played out quite differently. In the reverse sweep, the win was a grind, and they had to scrap for every point. On Thursday, Aiko Jones and Leah Edmond led the offense, finishing with 19 and 18 kills, respectively.
While she credited assistant coach Beau Lawler with developing a good scout on Omaha, Banwarth said they thrived on the court because of the energy and attitude each player brought.
“The vibes on the court were great, and they leaned into the culture that we’re creating and the vibe that we’re creating,” she said. “That’s being great teammates, lifting each other up. I want to see their personality, and I want that to shine.”
Phoebe Awoleye added 10 kills on 15 attacks for a .667 hitting percentage — a franchise record for an Omaha opponent. Atlanta finished with a .265 hitting percentage.
Awoleye, who played last season with the Supernovas, said she could swing freely knowing that her two big pin hitters would have her back.
“It’s so fun to play with them because they’re just so physical on both ends of the ball,” she said. ”I can do my job. I don’t have to worry about anything else and be good and where I’m at in my space, and I know they’ll take care of their space.”
Omaha’s serve betrayed it at times as it finished with 14 service errors. During one trip through the rotation in the first set, the Supernovas missed four out of six serves. Omaha faltered again in the fourth set, committing five serving miscues early and falling behind 13-10. The Supernovas committed four more service errors in the second set, but three of those came late in the set after they found their rhythm offensively and led 17-15.
Kiara Reinhardt waits for a serve against Atlanta. The Creighton graduate finished with seven kills on 12 swings for the Supernovas. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Emily Londot recorded five of her team-high 16 kills in the second set. The second-year opposite finished with a .333 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Reagan Cooper added 11 kills and four blocks while middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt terminated on seven of her 12 errorless.
As a team, Omaha hit .227 as Hilley dished out 36 assists. Libero Elena Oglivie played in her first home match after joining the Supernovas via a midseason trade and recorded 14 digs.
In the one set they won, Reinhardt said the difference in the second set was that they passed better, as she terminated on all four of her attacks.
“Syd did a great job finding us when we needed to,” Reinhardt said. “We went on a pretty strong run there, exploiting and knowing that middles were scoring against them, and so she really just kept feeding us and saw that opportunity.”
Halfway through the season, Omaha is 7-7 and in third place in the league. However, Atlanta and Orlando are close behind at 6-6, and San Diego is a half game back at 6-7.
The challenge doesn’t get easier as the Supernovas face league-leading Indy on Sunday. However, Omaha is one of just ytwo teams to best the Ignite this season.
After the match ended, the Supernovas gathered in a huddle on their side of the net and tried to come to grips with another home loss. Slabe said he tried to encourage the players and remind them of what they are capable of.
“It’s really hard to find the right words,” Slabe said about the post-game huddle. “I know these are not easy moments, but we all have to believe in what we’re doing and that we’re going to figure it out together.”
