LOVB Nebraska announced that Giannis Athanasopoulos will join the club as head coach for the 2026-27 season. Athanasopoulos has been the head coach of the Czechia National Team since 2019 and has led the Czechs to two FIVB Challenger Cup medals and three European Golden League medals. His club teams have seen success as well. Most recently, he led Vasas Obuda of Hungary from 2021 to 2026. Under his tutelage, Vasas Obuda won five consecutive Extraliga titles and four Hungarian Cups. Athanasopoulos will remain as Czechia’s head coach during LOVB Nebraska’s offseason.
Oklahoma baseball defeated North Carolina in Game 3 of the Men’s College World Series to secure its third national championship. Oklahoma entered the CWS tied with Troy for the least wins in the field, and the worst mark in conference play of all teams (14-16). The Sooners went nuclear through the NCAA Tournament however, taking down the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 national seeds to earn the school’s first national championship since 1994.
For North Carolina, it will be another long trip back to Chapel Hill with its third CWS runner-up finish in school history. Though the Tar Heels rank 12th in the nation with 13 appearances in Omaha, they are still in search of the school’s first baseball national championship.
The Omaha Storm Chasers are enjoying an extended home stretch for the next two weeks, hosting Columbus this week at Werner Park. Omaha has gone 8-12 over its last 20 games and could use a strong homestand to improve its place in league standings. The Chasers sit in eighth place in the International League West standings heading into the league’s midway point this Friday, June 26. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The team will be hosting $3 Thursday, where fans can enjoy select tickets, concessions and Busch Light cans for $3 each.
When the Storm Chasers host the Indianapolis Indians next week, the team will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with Freedom Weekend, a two-night celebration on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. The weekend will feature military tributes, live entertainment and patriotic decor throughout the ballpark with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. each evening. Following both games, fans will be invited onto the field for a unique fireworks-viewing experience, watching postgame fireworks directly from the outfield grass.
Union Omaha extended its current losing streak to three games, falling to Athletic Club Boise on Saturday, 1-0. Saturday’s match was the last of a 10-day, three-match road trip, and the club will have an extended break before its next match. Next Wednesday, July 1, Omaha will return home, where it is 6-0-1 this season, to host AV Alta FC at Morrison Stadium at 7 p.m.
Omaha men’s tennis will be joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as an affiliate member, starting with the 2026-27 season. Since transitioning to Division I in 2012, Omaha has competed in the Summit League. With the discontinuation of Illinois State’s and North Dakota’s men’s tennis programs, tennis will no longer be sponsored by the league, prompting the move to the MAC. Joining Omaha as an affiliate member this upcoming season is Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa. Omaha went 2-2 against MAC members, including incoming member Drake, last season.
Upcoming Events
- Omaha Storm Chasers vs. Columbus | June 23 – 28 | 7:05 p.m. Thursday
- Union Omaha vs. AV Alta FC | Wednesday, July 1 | 7 p.m.
