Courtesy of Geoff Exstrom of the Omaha Supernovas
ATLANTA — The Omaha Supernovas leaned on historic performances from libero Elena Oglivie and opposite Emily Londot to overcome a late first-set deficit, using that early spark to fuel a 26-24, 25-15, 15-25, 25-19 win over the Atlanta Vibe (8-11) on Thursday night at the Georgia State Convocation Center in front of 2,750.
Trailing 19-12 late in the first set, the Supernovas (11-10) strung together two separate four-point runs, with an Aiko Jones kill in between, to tie the score at 20. After trading points with the Vibe, Omaha trailed again at 23-21 and faced set point following a Pia Timmer kill. Londot and TeBrake delivered two key points to force extra play.
Londot again found the floor to give the Supernovas set point, and an Atlanta error sealed the comeback win. Omaha carried that momentum forward, ultimately securing a pivotal four-set victory over a team in direct postseason contention, as the Vibe fell to sixth in the MLV standings.
Oglivie, who joined the franchise following a blockbuster trade with the Grand Rapids Rise on Feb. 13, tied the MLV record for most digs in a match with 32, setting a Supernovas single-match record as well. Her 12 digs in the clinching fourth set also established a new franchise mark, surpassing the previous record of 11, which was also set by Oglivie against her former team on March 7.
The Supernovas’ win marked their fourth victory in the last five matches, a stretch driven in large part by the emergence of Londot as one of the league’s top opposites. The former Ohio State All-American recorded a career-high 22 kills on a .358 hitting percentage while adding nine digs.
Outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller recorded just her second double-double in the last 10 matches, finishing with 13 kills and 12 digs while adding one block and one ace. Making her first start since a March 1 road match versus Indy, Reagan Cooper totaled 11 kills, nine digs and one block. Second-year pro Norah TeBrake contributed three kills on seven swings, providing a key spark off the bench late in sets.
Rookie setter Brooke Mosher dazzled in her second career pro start, orchestrating the Supernovas offense with 51 assists and adding 11 digs. The second-round pick out of Pittsburgh also contributed five kills and one block for six points.
Fellow rookie and middle blocker Kiara Reinhardt rounded out four Supernovas in double figures with 11 points, finishing with six kills, four blocks and her team-leading 20th ace of the season. Toyosi Onabanjo, back in the starting lineup for the first time since March 7, contributed with a pair of kill and one block.
Atlanta was led by the hard-hitting duo of opposite Aiko Jones and outside hitter Leah Edmond. Jones totaled a team-high 20 points on 15 kills, four blocks and one ace. Edmond recorded the team’s lone double-double with 15 kills and 16 digs, along with one block.
The Supernovas are next in action when they return to Kiewit Court at the CHI Health Center on Saturday, April 4 for the team’s Blue Out and Mascot reveal against the Indy Ignite. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CDT on News Channel Nebraska and the Supernovas Radio Network.
Key Notes
- Elena Oglivie’s 32 digs set a new MLV four-set record and tied Orlando’s Georgia Murphy for the league’s all-time single-match digs record. Murphy reached the mark in a five-set match on March 11, 2024, at San Diego during the inaugural season.
- Londot’s 22 kills surpassed her previous career high of 20, set earlier this season against Grand Rapids on Feb. 1. Thursday’s performance marked her 12th double-digit kill effort of the season and her fourth straight.
- Brooke Mosher’s performance marked the sixth time this season a Supernovas setter has recorded at least 50 assists and the first since Sydney Hilley’s 52-assist effort at Orlando on Feb. 8.
- Kiara Reinhardt recorded her 20th ace of the season, becoming just the second player in MLV this season to reach that mark.
- The Supernovas improved to 4-1 all-time on the road against Atlanta, despite the Vibe being the only MLV team against which Omaha holds a losing record (5-6).
Set 1: Edmond opened the match with a kill on a running attack that took her to the middle of the court. Londot answered with her own kill, and the Novas took advantage of a trio of Vibe errors to gain a 4-2 lead. Atlanta responded with two three-point runs as Timmer posted three kills and Maggie Mendelson recorded her first career block to put the Vibe ahead 8-5 at the first media timeout. Mosher came out of the timeout and fired down a kill, but Mendelson answered with a slide attack. Reinhardt added a kill off a crafty set from Mosher, but back-to-back points from Edmond forced an Omaha timeout at 11-7. Two more points out of the stoppage, including a Mendelson ace, extended the lead to 13-7, but Nuneviller snapped the run with a kill. She added another during a point exchange with Edmond, but the Vibe still held a 16-9 advantage at the second media timeout. Mosher dropped in another dump as Atlanta maintained a seven-point lead after both teams exchanged service errors. Nuneviller spearheaded a late Novas surge with two kills and a block to force a Vibe timeout at 19-15, and the run extended to four following an Edmond hitting error. Jones attacked from the back row to end the run at 20-17 Vibe. Londot terminated from the right side, and Reinhardt followed with a point off a joust win. Nuneviller placed a serve in the back corner for an ace, forcing the second Vibe timeout as the Supernovas trailed 20-19. Cooper rejected a one-on-one attack from Jones to tie the set at 20, but the Vibe responded with consecutive kills from Edmond and Jones to take a 23-21 lead, forcing Omaha to use its final timeout. Londot tooled the block, but Timmer powered down an attack to give Atlanta set point. Londot answered with another kill, and Norah TeBrake entered and won a long rally to tie the set and force extra points. Londot’s tip found the floor between defenders, and an Atlanta error gave the Supernovas a 26-24 opening-set win.
The Novas offense hit .273 with one ace and three blocks. Nuneviller led the way with seven points on five kills, one block and one ace. The Vibe hit .250 with one ace and two blocks as Edmond recorded a set-high six kills.
Set 2: The Supernovas carried momentum from their first-set win, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after a Londot kill and a Vibe error. Jones recorded a pair of kills as Nuneviller and Cooper responded with points of their own, helping the Novas build a 5-2 lead after an Atlanta attack sailed long. Jones and Edmond posted back-to-back kills before setter Averi Carlson put down a ball to tie the set at five. Edmond gave the Vibe a brief lead before Londot recorded another kill and Onabanjo rejected a Vibe tip. Jones tied the set again by tooling the block, but Cooper sent the teams into the media timeout with a kill and an 8-7 Omaha lead. After a service error from Cooper, Londot and Edmond traded kills to keep the set tied at nine. Londot followed with another kill before Reinhardt recorded consecutive points on a kill and a solo block. Former Supernovas middle Phoebe Awoleye rejected Nuneviller to end the 3-0 Novas run, but Nuneviller responded on the next point with a tip kill. Londot bounced an attack off an Atlanta blocker for a point, and Cooper terminated on a first-touch dig from Nuneviller to extend the Omaha lead to 15-10 and force a Vibe timeout. A pair of Supernovas errors gave Atlanta a brief edge, but a Timmer attack error during a long rally put the Novas ahead 16-12 at the second media timeout. Jones recorded a kill out of the stoppage, but Onabanjo answered with a slide attack. Atlanta sent an attack wide before Mosher delivered a second-touch kill. Another long swing forced the Vibe’s second timeout with Omaha leading 20-13. Onabanjo added another kill, and Nuneviller followed with a back-row attack to extend the run to six. A Cooper hitting error ended the run, but Cooper and Nuneviller responded with back-to-back points to give the Supernovas set point. Jones delayed with a kill, but TeBrake closed the set with an out-of-system kill to give Omaha a 25-15 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Mosher directed a potent Omaha offense that hit .349 with two blocks. Londot led the attack with five kills, while Cooper and Nuneviller each added four. Atlanta hit .114 with one block, as Jones recorded six of the team’s 10 kills.
Set 3: Reinhardt opened the set with a kill off a Mosher middle set but followed with a service error. Cooper and Awoleye traded kills before a Vibe error and a Mosher overpass kill gave the Novas a 4-2 lead. Jones blocked Nuneviller, and Atlanta tied the set following an Omaha service error and an Edmond kill. Reinhardt answered with another kill, and a block on the next point was negated by a Novas net violation. After Londot gave Omaha a brief lead, an Awoleye kill and a Novas error put the Vibe ahead 8-7 at the first media timeout. Reinhardt tied the set out of the stoppage, but a service error and a Jones block gave Atlanta a 10-8 lead. Londot and Awoleye traded sideouts before consecutive Vibe errors tied the set at 11. Atlanta regained momentum with two Omaha errors, a Timmer kill and a Jones ace to cap a 4-0 run and take a 15-11 lead. Nuneviller answered with a kill from the left pin, and Mosher added a block, but Timmer tooled the block to give the Vibe a 16-13 lead at the second media timeout. Timmer added another kill before Reinhardt recorded a stuff block. Edmond fired an attack off Mosher for a point, and a strong Jones attack extended the lead to 19-14, prompting an Omaha timeout. Londot recorded the final Supernovas kill of the set, but Atlanta closed on a 5-0 run to win the set 25-15 and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
The Supernovas hit .057 with two blocks, as Reinhardt led the team with four points. Atlanta hit .241 with four blocks and one ace. Awoleye led the Vibe with six points on four kills and two blocks.
Set 4: Reinhardt again opened the set with a point, putting away an overpass from the Vibe. Edmond responded with a powerful kill, and Atlanta used three consecutive blocks to take a 4-1 lead. Reinhardt ended the run with a block. Consecutive Vibe hitting errors tied the set, and Londot gave the Novas their first lead at 5-4 with a kill. Mendelson recorded her second kill before Londot answered with another attack. Reinhardt delivered her 20th ace of the season to give Omaha a 7-5 lead. A Londot cut shot went wide, and an Awoleye kill tied the set at seven, but Londot tooled the block to give the Novas an 8-7 lead at the first media timeout. Londot then sparked a 3-0 run with three kills, which extended to four following a Cooper kill to make it 11-7. Another Cooper kill followed, sandwiched between two Awoleye points. Londot and Nuneviller added back-to-back points before a service error made it 14-10. Londot continued to produce, recording three of the Supernovas’ next four points, and after another Vibe error, Omaha led 19-12. Jones blocked Nuneviller, but Londot and Cooper responded with kills to push the lead to 21-14. Mosher added a kill during a long rally, but Atlanta answered with a 3-0 run behind an Awoleye block and two Jones kills. TeBrake entered late again and recorded a kill on her first swing. After Edmond sided out, Awoleye committed a service error, and Cooper closed the match with a kill to secure a 25-19 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
The Supernovas hit .250 in the set with one block and one ace. Londot recorded nine kills on a .350 hitting percentage. Atlanta hit .186 with five blocks, as Jones led the Vibe with five points on three kills and two blocks.
