The Omaha Supernovas were too much for the Grand Rapids Rise on Saturday in the final match of an incredibly successful first season for the Pro Volleyball Federation. Their reward is a place in history as the first-ever PVF champions.
Omaha won 25-13, 26-24, 25-22 in front of more than 10,000 fans at the inaugural PVF Championship finals. The No. 2 seed Supernovas used a strong service game and also exploited an atypical poor Grand Rapids defense to win in three straight sets.
As a result of their victory, Omaha wins the $1 million cash prize, which will be shared by the roster.
Many Supernova players were instrumental in the title match win, but outside hitter Bethania de la Cruz was the big star. The 37-year old Dominican star, in her 13th pro season, had 13 kills, hit .420, and served an ace.
Omaha outside hitter Brooke Nunneviller had a double-double, her 16th of the season, with 12 kills and 15 digs. Claire Chaussee had 12 kills for Grand Rapids.
The Novas switched things up the entire match, shifting from power attacks at the net, to floaters into open holes in the middle of the Rise defense, and also targeting the lines. Unsung middle blocker Tori Dixon did a lot of the dirty work: blocking, digging as needed, and attacking poor passes by Grand Rapids. In a match where small details mattered so much, Omaha seemed to have the advantage in all of them.
de la Cruz has said she will likely retire, which if true, makes her final competitive pro match a notable one: the first title match for the PVF, which is the most recent attempt at a women’s league based in the United States.
Rise opposite hitter Emiliya Dimitrova (12 kills, 11 digs) played her final match, ending an epic 17-year pro career. The Bulgarian-born Dimitrova played as a pro in nine countries, and represented her country in the Olympics three times. This season she essentially served as an extra coach on the court, often providing leadership to players, most of whom were in grade school when Dimitrova began her career.
Grand Rapids defeated N. 1 seed Atlanta in the semi-finals, while Omaha beat San Diego.
The PVF plans a second amateur draft for later this year, and a second season will begin next January. The league will have three additional teams, based in Dallas, Indianapolis, and Kansas City. In its second season, the PVF will feature 10 teams. All players currently under contract will be free agents.
