SAN DIEGO, CA. – The Omaha Supernovas (12-6) aim to make it two wins in a row against the San Diego Mojo (7-9) when they face off again Tuesday night in Viejas Arena. First serve is set for 9 p.m. CDT.
The match will also be broadcast live on the Supernovas Radio Network, featuring its flagship station 93.7 The Ticket. The broadcast will also be live on 95.7 The Boss (Omaha), KRVN (Lexington), KOLT (Scottsbluff), and KTIC (West Point). Award-winning broadcaster Derrick Pearson and AVCA High School Coach of the Year Renee Saunders will provide commentary.
Saturday’s contest will also be streamed live on the Pro Volleyball Federation’s YouTube channel.
The Supernovas are coming off a five-set win over the Mojo on Saturday, April 20 in what was one of the most intense matches of the season. Omaha fought off San Diego who almost completed the comeback after going down 2-1. Setter Sydney Hilley broke the franchise record for assists with 61 to go along with 19 digs, two blocks, two kills and one ace. Rookie Paige Briggs was a hero off the bench hammering 12 kills on a .310 clip with 14 digs and two blocks in four of the five sets. Bethania de la Cruz continued her hot streak against the Mojo, racking up 20 kills on a .270 hitting percentage while finishing with 14 digs for the second time in the last three matches.Â
The loss on Saturday snapped San Diego’s two-match winning streak, but the Mojo still remain in postseason contention, sitting fourth in the league standings with three games in hand over the Orlando Valkyries (7-12) who are in fifth. After starting the season 1-5, the Mojo have gone 6-4 since.
The Supernovas have clinched at least a split of the season series having won two of the first three matches against the Mojo. Omaha recorded its first win in franchise history with a sweep of San Diego on Feb. 3 at home. The Mojo fired back with a four-set win two months later on April 2 before the Supernovas took match three on Saturday.
Setter and Thailand native Tomkom Nootsara has been a major reason for the Mojo’s success as she sits fourth in the league with 666 assists. That equates to 10.92 assists per set which is second in the Pro Volleyball Federation. In fact, she most recently won the Pro Volleyball Federation Player of the Week after leading San Diego to two wins and racking up 122 assists in three matches.
Rooke Temi Thomas-Ailara has been the biggest beneficiary of those assists, pacing the Mojo with 233 kills which is seventh in the league. She was on fire against the Supernovas last time out, finishing with 24 kills on a .352 clip with 10 digs for a double-double.
Athletic middle blocker Ronika Stone is the force at the net, leading San Diego with 33 blocks and 116 kills on the season. Former Supernova Lindsay Vander Weide is the only other Mojo to reach triple-digit kills, hammering down 105.
Supernovas outside hitter Bethania de la Cruz enters Saturday still leading the league with 25 aces in 18 matches. The Dominican Republic native has been a menace against the Mojo this season, totaling 59 kills on a .359 clip with 33 digs, four blocks and three aces across three matches. De la Cruz set a franchise record with 26 kills against the Mojo in San Diego on April 2.
Omaha middles Hristina Vuchkova and Tori Dixon will be another factor. They’ve turned into a dynamic duo for the Supernovas as both players sit inside the top five in individual blocks. Vuchkova leads the team with 53 and owns the franchise record of six blocks in one match. She’s achieved that number twice which has both come against the Mojo. Dixon isn’t too far behind her teammate totaling 49 blocks.

After Tuesday, the Supernovas return home to welcome the Grand Rapids Rise (10-9) on Friday, April 26. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. CDT with Omaha making its debut on CBS Sports Network. Fans can also listen to the Supernovas Radio Network spearheaded by its flagship station 93.7 The Ticket.
