The Omaha Supernovas are looking to etch their name in chapter three of the professional volleyball history books.
With a five-set win over the No. 1 seed Indy Ignite on Thursday, the No. 4 seed Omaha Supernovas will swing for their second Major League Volleyball title in just three seasons on Saturday afternoon.
The Supernovas won the first-ever Major League Volleyball championship in 2024, when it was called the Pro Volleyball Federation. Last year, they dropped a semifinal match to the Orlando Valkyries.
This year’s squad pulled off a five-set thriller in the semis by set scores of, 25-22, 21-25, 27-29, 25-20 and 15-13. During the postgame press conference, Supernovas head coach Thomas Robson said his team stayed aggressive.
“You have to take risks, and tonight we took risks and they paid off. So, I’m just so proud of this group,” Robson said. “We get another chance to compete. Win or lose, Saturday’s our last chance as a family to be together to battle together.”
He said former Husker Merritt Beason taking a strong swing during a critical point was “fearless” and “relentless.”
Middle blocker Janice Leao said, “I feel like we just played really free today (Thursday).” She added Omaha kept it simple by trying to win the next five to 10 points at a time.
Outside hitter Sarah Parsons agreed the team stayed brave with its back against the wall.
“I think we stayed together really, really well,” Parsons said.
The attitude was positive in the huddle anytime Indy scored a big point, she said. It hasn’t always been pretty for the Supernovas this year. With six games left in the regular season, head coach Luka Slabe was fired. Omaha also lost six straight matches in February and March.
“We want to be here, and I think that adversity helped us get to where we are now,” Parsons said.
The Supernovas improved to 15-14 on the year. Indy dropped to 23-6. The title match with the No. 2 seed Dallas Pulse will be televised on Ion at 2 p.m. Central time Saturday. Dallas swept Omaha last Friday, May 1. The Pulse is 21-8 following its semifinal win against San Diego Thursday.