Grow Omaha Sports

Martie Cordaro announced last week that he will step back from his leadership role with Union Omaha and will serve full-time with the Omaha Storm Chasers. When Alliance Sports, owner of the Omaha Storm Chasers, founded Union Omaha in 2019, Cordaro was chosen to lead both organizations. He continued to serve in his role as president of the Storm Chasers even after Alliance Sports sold the team in 2024.

The move comes as Union Omaha’s downtown stadium project continues to progress and will help leadership better balance the vision for the club’s future with day-to-day operations. More information on the move can be found on the Grow Omaha website.

The Omaha Supernovas made history in more ways than one in their two matches last week. In the club’s first ever meeting against the Dallas Pulse on Thursday, Omaha put up the best offensive performance in franchise history, posting a .391 hitting percentage in a 25-22, 25-18, 25-23 sweep.

On Sunday, the Supernovas survived the Orlando Valkyries to earn their fifth straight win, the longest streak in franchise history. Sunday’s victory was Omaha’s seventh straight road victory dating back to last season, which matches a franchise record.

Omaha now sits at 7-3 and is in second place in MLV standings. The team will return home this week to host two matches against the same pair of teams. Tonight, Omaha faces Dallas at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Supernovas will host Orlando for their Pink Out, with the first 5,000 fans in attendance receiving a pink T-shirt. Sunday’s match will be nationally televised on VICE TV and first serve is at 5 p.m.

Omaha Hockey alumnus and Omaha native Jake Guentzel will make his Olympic debut on Friday against Latvia, when Team USA begins its mission for its first hockey gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. This is the first time since 2014 that NHL players are allowed to play in the Olympics, after a breakdown in negotiations between the NHL and the International Olympic Committee regarding insurance, travel and accommodations for players caused the absence of hockey’s top talent for two Olympic cycles. Guentzel played for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, where he experienced international play for the first time and scored three goals in four games. Friday’s game will be televised nationally on USA Network, with puck drop scheduled for 2:10 p.m. CST.

Omaha softball defeated Northern Iowa, Butler and Iowa State twice in last week’s UNI Dome Tournament to start the season 4-0, and is now ranked third in D1 Softball Mid-Major Rankings, the highest ranking since the Mavericks transitioned to Division I. Over the weekend, head coach Mike Heard earned his 150th win, and pitcher Maddia Groff earned her 300th career strikeout.

This weekend, Omaha will travel to San Diego to face Utah State, Southern Utah, Fairleigh Dickinson (twice) and Boise State. Play will begin when the Mavericks face Utah Tech on Friday at 11 a.m.

Creighton men’s basketball secured another come-from-behind victory on Saturday against Seton Hall, closing the game on an 11-1 run to sink the Pirates, 69-68. Creighton trailed 67-58 with 1:27 remaining in the game, but cut the lead to one before fouling Seton Hall guard Trey Parker with 17.2 seconds left. Parker made one of two free throws, and Creighton advanced the ball quickly, where Nik Graves eventually created space and drilled the game winning three pointer.

On Wednesday night, Creighton’s luck ran out against DePaul. Down 71-70, DePaul’s Brandon Maclin scored a contested layup with seven seconds left for what would be the winning basket. Wednesday’s 72-71 loss was Creighton’s first to DePaul since January 2015, and only second since joining the Big East.

Creighton will return home on Saturday to host Villanova, which they beat 76-72 in January. Tipoff for the nationally televised game on FOX is at 1:30 p.m.

Creighton women’s basketball used a timely three pointer of their own to score an 80-74 overtime victory over Marquette on Sunday. Creighton freshman Neleigh Gessert provided the game-tying three pointer with just 20 seconds remaining, and the Bluejays stood tall defensively to force overtime. Grace Boffeli owned OT, scoring Creighton’s first seven points of the period to put them ahead for good.

Freshman Ava Zediker earned Big East Freshman of the Week for her performances against Georgetown and Marquette last week. Zediker averaged 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the two contests. This is her first such honor.

LOVB Nebraska is in the midst of a three-game losing streak after facing the top three clubs in league standings over the last 11 days. Nebraska was swept by Houston last night, 25-21, 25-17, 25-14 in the LOVB Match of the Week. LOVB Nebraska will begin play in the LOVB Classic on Saturday, facing Atlanta at 4:30 p.m. The LOVB Classic is an in-season tournament featuring all six LOVB teams, running from Friday, February 13 to Sunday, February 15. Saturday’s game can be streamed live with an ESPN+ subscription.

Creighton baseball, picked to finish second in the Big East preseason poll after earning both the regular season and Big East Tournament championships last season, will begin its 2026 campaign, and the Mark Kingston era, this weekend. The Bluejays will head to Moraga, Calif. to face Saint Mary’s in a trio of games, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. on Friday.

Omaha baseball tied for second with St. Thomas in the Summit League preseason poll, announced Wednesday. Nebraska natives Henry Zipay and Maddox Meyer were named players to watch. The Mavericks open their season this weekend in the desert with a series against Arizona State beginning tomorrow at 7:35 p.m.

Upcoming Events

• Omaha Supernovas vs. Dallas | Thursday, Feb. 12 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball vs. St. Thomas | Thursday, Feb. 12 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Drake | Friday, Feb. 13 | 10 a.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Utah Tech | Friday, Feb. 13 | 11 a.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Coastal Carolina | Friday, Feb. 13 | 12:30 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Southern Utah | Friday, Feb. 13 | 1:30 p.m.
• Creighton baseball at Saint Mary’s | Feb. 13-15 | 4 p.m. Friday
• Omaha Hockey vs. #8 Denver | Friday, February 13 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha baseball at Arizona State | Feb. 13-15 | 7:35 p.m. Friday
• Creighton softball vs. Drake | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 12:30 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball at St. Thomas | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 1 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball vs. Villanova | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 1:30 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska vs. LOVB Atlanta | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 4:30 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. FDU | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 6:30 p.m.
• Omaha Hockey vs. #8 Denver | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Utah Valley | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 7:30 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Boise State | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 9 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball vs. Denver | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 12 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Arizona | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 12:30 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. FDU | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 1:30 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. Villanova | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 4 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas vs. Orlando | Sunday, Feb. 15 | 5 p.m.
• Omaha baseball at Arizona | Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball at #6 UConn | Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 6 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball at Butler | Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball vs. Oral Roberts | Wednesday, Feb. 18 | 7 p.m.

Martie Cordaro announced last week that he will step back from his leadership role with Union Omaha and will serve full-time with the Omaha Storm Chasers. 

When Alliance Sports, owner of the Omaha Storm Chasers, founded Union Omaha in 2019, Cordaro was chosen to lead both organizations. He continued to serve in his role as president of the Storm Chasers even after Alliance Sports sold the team in 2024. 

The move comes as Union Omaha’s downtown stadium project continues to progress and will help leadership better balance the vision for the club’s future with day-to-day operations.

“As the stadium project gets underway,” Cordaro said, “this is the right moment to return to a one-team, one-sport leadership focus and serve full-time with the Omaha Storm Chasers. Of course, I am a lifelong supporter of the Owls, and I will remain an important part of the ownership group. I am deeply grateful to both organizations and the staff and fans who have made it possible to lead in both roles, and I have great confidence in Union Omaha’s leadership and future. This transition is about strategic focus and ensuring both organizations have the dedicated leadership they deserve as they move forward.”

The club has announced that Alexis Boulos has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Union Omaha will also begin its search for a president and Chief Revenue Officer to lead revenue strategy across partnerships, ticketing, sponsorships and future stadium-related initiatives. Both Boulos and the new president/CRO will report to Gary Green, Union Omaha’s CEO and managing partner.

SET The Bar is currently hosting a weeklong celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, which is celebrated annually during the first week of February. Each night, the Benson sports bar dedicated to celebrating women’s sports is hosting events highlighted by local women’s sports programs and advocacy groups. Tonight, SET The Bar, in partnership with EPIC for Girls, will host Game Changers: An Inspiring Open Mic Event, where women athletes will share how sports shaped their confidence, leadership and community impact. Tonight’s event begins at 5 p.m.

Creighton baseball catcher Connor Capece has earned one of 10 spots on the 2026 Buster Posey Preseason Watch List. Capece was a cornerstone of Creighton’s success last season, posting a .351 batting average with 41 RBI and was also named the Jack Kaiser Most Outstanding Player (MVP) Award at the Big East Tournament.

The Buster Posey Award is administered by the Wichita Sports Commission and is presented annually to college baseball’s top catcher. Last year, Coastal Carolina catcher Caden Bodine claimed the honor.

Omaha Hockey split a weekend series at No. 3 Western Michigan over the weekend, snapping the defending national champions’ 10-game winning streak. Goaltender Simon Latkoczy recorded 25 saves and his 50th career win for the Mavericks in Saturday’s victory over the Broncos. The Mavericks will have the week off before returning to the ice for a weekend series at No. 8 Denver beginning February 13.

The Omaha Supernovas have bounced back from the longest losing streak in club history, three matches, with a three-match winning streak to improve to 5-3 on the season. After a thrilling, five-set victory over the San Diego Mojo on Friday night, Omaha rode Emily Londot’s career night to defeat Grand Rapids on Sunday. Londot poured in 20 kills and a match-leading 24 points to take down the Rise in four sets. Omaha will remain on the road this weekend, featuring its first-ever meeting against the Dallas Pulse tonight at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Supernovas will visit the Orlando Valkyries, with first serve scheduled for 2 p.m.

LOVB Nebraska Middle Blocker Ana Carolina da Silva was named Defensive Player of the Week by the league after her career performance in Friday’s win over LOVB Madison. She became the first athlete in league history to record 10 blocks in a single match, and in doing so, became the league leader in blocks per set with 1.18.

LOVB Nebraska had its two-match winning streak snapped on Sunday, falling to LOVB Atlanta in four sets at Baxter Arena. Despite a stellar defensive performance by Libero Lexi Rodriguez, who provided 15 digs on a perfect 1.00 dig percentage, Nebraska is now 3-3 and tied for third place in league standings.

LOVB Nebraska will travel to first-place LOVB Salt Lake (5-1) this weekend, with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Omaha men’s basketball guard Paul Djobet was named the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week on Tuesday. Djobet recorded two double-doubles last week in wins over South Dakota State and Denver, and poured in a career-high 27 points against the latter. Paul Djobet becomes the second Maverick this season to earn Summit League Peak Performer of the Week. Lance Waddles earned the honor on December 23.

Omaha softball was picked first in the 2026 Summit League Preseason Coaches poll, announced Wednesday. The three-time defending Summit League tournament champions return seven starters from last season’s team, including reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Year Maddia Groff. This season, Omaha will play five games against teams that made the NCAA tournament last year, playing Arkansas twice and Nebraska three times.

Both Creighton and Omaha softball begin their 2026 campaigns on the road on Friday, with each team playing a handful of games throughout the weekend. Omaha will face Iowa State and Butler in a doubleheader on Friday, and Iowa State once again before Northern Iowa on Saturday. Creighton will play Central Arkansas and Sam Houston in doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday before capping off the fast start to the season against South Dakota on Sunday.

Creighton women’s basketball freshman Neleigh Gessert was named Big East Freshman of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. The Omaha native combined for 33 points while shooting 42.9 percent from the field in wins over St. John’s and Seton Hall last week. This is Gessert’s second such honor this season.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha women’s basketball vs. North Dakota | Thursday, Feb. 5 | 6:30 p.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball at North Dakota | Thursday, Feb. 5 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Dallas | Thursday, Feb. 5 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Iowa State | Friday, Feb. 6 | 10 a.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Butler | Friday, Feb. 6 | 12:30 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Central Arkansas | Friday, Feb. 6 | 1:30 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Sam Houston | Friday, Feb. 6 | 6:30 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Central Arkansas | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 11 a.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Iowa State | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 11:30 a.m.
• Omaha men’s basketball at North Dakota State | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 1 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball vs. North Dakota State | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 1 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. Sam Houston | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 1:30 p.m.
• LOVB Nebraska at LOVB Salt Lake | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 4 p.m.
• Omaha softball vs. Northern Iowa | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 4:30 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball vs. Seton Hall | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 5 p.m.
• Creighton softball vs. South Dakota | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 10 a.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball vs. Marquette | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 12 p.m.
• Omaha Supernovas at Orlando | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 2 p.m.
• Creighton women’s basketball at #1 UConn | Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha women’s basketball at Denver | Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 7 p.m.
• Creighton men’s basketball at DePaul | Wednesday, Feb. 11 | 8 p.m.