The team from Nebraska has outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller as one of their most important players this season – she ranks fifth in points scored in the league, with 413. Other standouts for the Supernovas are middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord, who’s second in blocks (82), Puerto Rican setter Natalia Valentín-Anderson, who’s fourth in assists (871), and Colombian libero Camila Gómez, who’s fifth in digs (349).
“I think the key for us in the playoffs is knowing who we are and respecting the opponents because they are really competitive,” head coach Laura Kuhn. “And we should also keep focusing on our serving. We did that in the last two matches, and it worked out very well.”
Their opponents, the Ignite, were the last team to secure a spot in the playoffs, which they did in the second-to-last week of the regular season. The team from Indiana ended their campaign with 13 wins and 15 losses and lost back-to-back matches in the final week of the regular season.
The league leaders in assists (1,514) and kills (1,594), the Ignite count on the steady hands of setter Sydney Hilley, the player with the most assists (1,277) in the PVF, to guide them in the Championship. Opposite Azhani Tealer, who ranks third in the league in points (464), and libero Elena Scott, who is fourth in digs (374), are also capable of making a difference for the team.
“This league is really good, so getting to the playoffs in itself is something to be proud of,” Hilley said. “Obviously, we have the goal of winning it all, but so does every team that’s there. We are just going to go out and give it everything we’ve got, enjoy this team and season for as long as we can.”
