Grow Omaha Sports

The Omaha Supernovas ended a historic three-match losing streak on Saturday, defeating previously unbeaten Indy Ignite in four sets on the road. The Supernovas’ loss to Columbus on Thursday marked the first three-match losing streak in franchise history. Omaha was buoyed by Reagan Cooper and Brooke Nuneviller, who combined for 35 kills in the match. Rookie and Creighton alumna Kiara Reinhardt added six kills of her own, but her impact came defensively, tallying a match-high six blocks to subdue Indy’s offense.

Omaha returns home tomorrow to host the San Diego Mojo at 7 p.m. and will be celebrating National Girls & Women in Sports Night. Following the match, Brooke Nuneviller and Merritt Beason will hold a 45-minute autograph session. Friday’s match will be broadcast locally on Nebraska Public Media and 660 AM.

LOVB Nebraska’s match scheduled for last Sunday, January 25, at LOVB Atlanta was postponed “For the safety of our fans and teams due to this weekend’s weather” in a release from the club. A major ice storm affected parts of northeastern Georgia and Atlanta on Sunday.

LOVB Nebraska will host a pair of home games at Baxter Arena this weekend, beginning with LOVB Madison on Friday at 7 p.m. Friday is Beer & Beverage Night, and fans can enjoy specially priced beers and beverages from doors open until first serve. On Sunday, Nebraska will host LOVB Austin at 3 p.m. for its National Girls & Women in Sports Day celebration, where they will partner with the Women’s Sports Foundation to celebrate girls and women in sports to highlight some local female sports icons throughout the match. Both matches can be streamed with an ESPN+ subscription.

Omaha Hockey goaltender Simon Latkoczy was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Goaltender of the Week, his second such honor this season. In his 100th career appearance as a Maverick on Saturday against Colorado College, Latkoczy posted 32 saves and a .941 save percentage. Latkoczy will have a chance to earn his 50th career victory this weekend when Omaha travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face No. 3 Western Michigan. Puck drop will be at 6 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Creighton men’s basketball was throttled by Marquette on Tuesday night, losing 86-62 to fall to 12-9 overall and 6-4 in the Big East at the midway point in conference play. Creighton hosts No. 2 UConn on Saturday for its annual Creighton vs. Cancer Pink Out game on Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

Nebraska State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg, in partnership with the Omaha Storm Chasers, has announced the 24th annual “Why I Want to Go to College” writing sweepstakes. Students are asked to reflect on the value of education and what they hope to achieve through education after high school. Prizes will be awarded to 12 winners in seventh and eighth grades. Winners will receive contributions to the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST 529) college savings accounts, including $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place. Essays should be limited to 750 words. Entries must be postmarked by March 16, and sent to: Alexis Smith, Omaha Storm Chasers, 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046.

Nebraska Pride is a women’s tackle football team competing in the Women’s Football Alliance, the largest, longest-running competitive women’s tackle football league in the world. The club is actively recruiting players for its season beginning this April and will be joining women’s sports teams from Omaha at Set The Bar in Benson to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Monday, February 2.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha Hockey at #3 Western Michigan | Friday, Jan. 30 | 6 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska vs. LOVB Madison | Friday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas vs. San Diego | Friday, Jan. 30 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha Lancers at Madison | Friday, Jan. 30 | 7:05 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball vs. Kansas City | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball at Denver | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 3 p.m.
• Omaha Hockey at #3 Western Michigan | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 5 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball vs. #2 UConn | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha Lancers at Madison | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 7:05 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball at Seton Hall | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 2 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska vs. LOVB Austin | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 3 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Grand Rapids | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 3 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. Georgetown | Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 6 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball at Georgetown | Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 6:30 p.m.

The Omaha Supernovas have announced that Diane Mendenhall, the club’s current president, will become a co-owner of the franchise. Additionally, the Supernovas will welcome Amanda (Gates) Sjuts as special adviser to the president and president-in-waiting. Mendenhall will continue in her role as president through the 2026 season before transitioning to franchise adviser.

Sjuts is a Columbus, Neb., native who played for the Huskers under John Cook from 2005 to 2008. Playing as a middle blocker, she was part of the most successful class in program history, going 127-8 in those four seasons while winning the 2006 national championship. 

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve, lead and make an impact on the Supernovas and the sport of professional volleyball,” Sjuts said. “From wearing the Husker jersey to playing professionally to coaching, volleyball has been instrumental in shaping who I am. I am excited to give back to the game that has given me so much and am honored to represent this trailblazing league, franchise, team and NovasNation as the next president of the Supernovas.” 

Creighton men’s basketball’s annual Pink Out game is next Saturday, January 31, against No. 2 UConn at 7 p.m. This year’s auction is officially underway. Fans can honor a friend or family member on player shooting shirts and bid on signed basketballs, golf with coach McDermott and more. The auction will run through Sunday, January 25th, with items closing in 15-minute intervals starting at 6:30 p.m. To bid on items, click HERE.

All funds raised will benefit Hope Lodge Omaha. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Nebraska provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive life-saving treatment. The annual Creighton University Pink Out athletic events have combined to raise more than $1 million to benefit the Hope Lodge facility and the guests it serves, with $464,000 of that coming from the jersey auctions.

The Kansas City Royals announced last Friday that Patrick Osborn will lead the 2026 Omaha Storm Chasers as manager. Osborn served as Omaha’s bench coach during the 2025 season and is now stepping in as the 20th manager in franchise history. This season marks Osborn’s 15th season in professional baseball and seventh as a manager. He previously managed six seasons across five levels in the New York Yankees organization. 

LOVB Nebraska will travel to face LOVB Atlanta this Sunday, and sitting at 2-2 currently, has an opportunity to climb above .500 with a win. Sunday’s match will begin at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. 

The Omaha Supernovas are in action tonight, looking to get back on track following a winless weekend against Orlando and Atlanta. Omaha welcomes the Columbus Fury to Kiewit Court at the CHI Health Center at 7 p.m. The Supernovas will then travel to face the Indy Ignite in their home opener on Saturday, January 24, at 6 p.m. Tonight’s match will be broadcast statewide on Nebraska Public Media and KCRO 660 AM. 

Creighton men’s basketball stole its second Big East game at home in just over a week Wednesday night, this time taking down Xavier, 94-93. Austin Swartz was the hero again, drawing a foul with four seconds left on the clock with the Bluejays down 93-91. Swartz made his first attempt to bring the game within one, but then missed the game tying attempt. He quickly grabbed the rebound and rose to hit the game winner from the baseline with 0.6 seconds remaining. Creighton, now 6-3 in Big East play, will head to Milwaukee next Tuesday, January 27, to face Marquette at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday’s game will be televised on TNT.

Creighton baseball will play the series-opening game of its May 14-16 series against Xavier at Great American Ball Park following a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. The news was released last week. First pitch for the Reds and Nationals is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Creighton and Xavier will take the field approximately 45 minutes after the game. Tickets are available at reds.com/Tickets.

Cowboy fast draw is a sport with a nearby club in the Omaha metro area. The River City Gunslingers are dedicated to the sport of cowboy fast draw, where shooters match their draw speed against opponents using single-action six shooters, wax bullets, and electronically controlled targets that measure times down to .001 of a second. The group shoots the second and fourth Wednesday of each month in Honey Creek, Iowa, and all ages and genders are welcome.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha women’s basketball vs. South Dakota | Thursday, Jan. 22 | 6:30 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Columbus Fury | Thursday, Jan. 22 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha hockey vs. Colorado College | Friday, Jan. 23 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Indy Ignite | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Lancers at Lincoln Stars | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 6:05 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball at Kansas City | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha hockey vs. Colorado College | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball at DePaul | Sunday, Jan. 25 | 2 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska at LOVB Atlanta | Sunday, Jan. 25 | 5 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball at Marquette | Tuesday, Jan. 27 | 8:30 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. St. John’s | Wednesday, Jan. 28 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball vs. South Dakota State | Wednesday, Jan. 28 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball at South Dakota State | Wednesday, Jan. 28 | 7 p.m.

LOVB Nebraska announced today the expansion of its ownership group, bringing several local faces into the fold.

New ownership includes former Creighton legends Kyle Korver, Kirsten Bernthal Booth and Darin Ruf, Nebraska football national champion Zach Wiegert and local business leaders Kyle and Neely Fedde Salem.

“We have all seen women’s sports grow in a real and meaningful way and Nebraska has always believed in showing up. For our athletes, for our communities. It always has been and always will be a hotbed for volleyball,” said Korver, now the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Hawks.

Following the 2025 season, LOVB Omaha rebranded to LOVB Nebraska to reinforce its commitment to grow volleyball throughout the entire state of Nebraska, not just the Omaha metro. With a network of clubs from the youth level all the way to its professional league, LOVB creates a pathway for players from club to pro, with each pro team tied directly to its local LOVB junior volleyball clubs. Players from LOVB youth clubs are afforded resources to help with training, recruitment and even financial aid. 

During LOVB Nebraska’s rebrand, it was announced that former Creighton volleyball head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth would join the club as president of business operations. She will now take her commitment to growing volleyball in Nebraska to the next level. 

“As I near a year of being part of LOVB, I’ve seen firsthand what we are building and truly believe in the vision. It’s a model we wanted to invest in, and I’m proud to be part of something that is growing the game of volleyball for generations to come,” Bernthal Booth said.

LOVB’s framework is designed to connect the sport of volleyball from youth to professional leagues in the communities it operates in, much like the European soccer model. The expanded ownership group, with local sports figures and business leaders, reflects that vision and commitment to the state of Nebraska as a whole.

“We hope LOVB Nebraska will create meaningful opportunities for women’s volleyball players to thrive professionally and in their communities, inspire the next generation of female athletes,” said UNO assistant baseball coach Darin Ruf.

“Nebraska has become the epicenter of high-level volleyball in the United States and Neely and I are excited to be able to help ensure that the highest level of competition plays here. I see this as an opportunity to help build something that positively impacts the community for years to come,” said Kyle Salem, CEO of CQuence Health.

LOVB Nebraska’s ownership group is focused on growing professional women’s volleyball across the state and providing opportunities for generations to come. Jordan Larson remains an owner of LOVB Nebraska. She was announced as a member of the new LOVB Nebraska ownership group in August 2025.