Nuneviller shines in matchup of former Ducks
Omaha downs Orlando in four sets in front of another record crowd
OMAHA — On Saturday afternoon, Matt Ulmer was sitting in a hotel room plotting his recruiting plans for the Triple Crown tournament in Kansas City.
Those plans got scrapped after he talked with Beth Nuneviller, the recruiting director for Tempe Aspire, and realized that two of his former Oregon players – including Beth's daughter Brooke – would be playing against each other the next day a few hours away.
After watching the morning wave in Kansas City, the Ducks coach hopped in a car
and drove north up Interstate 29 to Omaha to watch Supernova outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller take the court against Orlando libero Georgia Murphy.
Ulmer was not disappointed by the show put on by the Oregon graduates. Omaha outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller recorded a match-high 14 kills to lead the Supernovas to a 25-13, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20 win over Orlando in front of a United States professional attendance record of 11,918 fans at the CHI Health Center Sunday evening.
Abby Hanson, who played her first three years at Oregon before transferring to UCF, was also on Orlando’s roster but didn’t appear in the match.
“I told the girls that our future is screwed now because I stopped recruiting today. Hopefully, they understand,” Ulmer joked after the match. “Brooke vs Georgia’s defense was pretty fun. I felt like Brooke got a dig, and then Georgia had to show that up.”
Ulmer planned to get dinner with his former players after the match and then head back to Kansas City and get a few hours of sleep before the 7:30 a.m. matches Monday morning.
Nuneviller called Ulmer one of the most supportive coaches she’s ever had and she was pumped that he was in the stands.
“He is truly someone who sticks with his players after, and he's a coach that really, really cares about all of us,” she said.
While Nuneviller and the Supernovas (4-2) got the upper hand in the match, Murphy at least made her former teammate work for it. The 5-foot-6 libero recorded 17 digs for the Valkyries, while Nuneviller countered with 14 digs.
While it was odd for Nuneviller to play against Murphy – they last faced off in club tournaments – she had fun trying to get the best of her old teammate.
“She's a little stud. She dug a lot of balls,” Nuneviller said. “Seeing her on the other side of the net was a little different, but we are always supporting one another.”
Behind Nuneviller’s offense, Omaha breezed through the first set. Orlando put up a tougher challenge in the second set until the Supernovas closed strong by winning five of the final six rallies.
Omaha looked poised to make it a short night, leading 7-4 in the third set, but the Valkyries took over with a 12-1 run. The Supernovas responded in the fourth set by scoring a point on its serve in four straight rotations to pull away late.
Jillian Gillen led the Valkyries (2-3) with 13 kills, but she struggled early, hitting negative through the first two sets.
Orlando coach Amy Pauly said Adora Anae, who won the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Player of the Week honor on Tuesday, didn't play because of a coach's decision. She was dressed and on the sidelines but didn't appear in the match.
Betty de la Cruz added 13 kills and a pair of aces for the Supernovas. Middle blocker Tori Dixon added 12 points on seven kills and five blocks while opposite Jess Lansman tallied eight kills and three blocks.
After the match, hundreds of fans, including many from club teams playing in the Asics President's Day Classic in the adjacent convention center, formed long lines to get players autographs.
Omaha interim coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn said breaking the opening-night record is good for the sport and shows genuine interest in the team and not just curiosity. The Supernovas are averaging 11,005 fans through four matches.
“It's cool for our sport in our country to be able to feel that energy,” she said. “I think it's the product that's out there and the way they're playing.”
Count Ulmer as a fan of the league and the game's growth. He said even in the short time he spent on the recruiting trail, people were abuzz with the potential of professional volleyball.
“It’s not just this gym, even though this gym is leading the way,” he said. “What a great environment. The atmosphere was so cool and fans are really into it. The level of play gets better week after week as everybody gets more comfortable together, coaches get their systems more and players get familiar with each other.”
