OMAHA, Nebraska — For the file, the Atlanta Vibe gained, beating the Omaha Supernovas 26-24, 25-23, 17-25, 19-25, 15-13 and prevented the reverse sweep by rallying from a 13-10 fifth-set deficit.
However, as virtually everybody concerned mentioned with out prompting, the inaugural Professional Volleyball Federation match Wednesday evening within the CHI Well being Middle Enviornment made historical past.
Alli Linnehan acquired the primary kill for Atlanta.
“Historical past was made tonight,” Linnehan mentioned. “That’s what we simply stored saying. Historical past is being made and it’s simply so superior that we get to be part of it.”
Her coach, Todd Dagenais, was doused with water by his gamers within the glad post-match dressing room and his costume shirt and tie had been soaked.
“As a lot as we’re enthusiastic about this street win,” Dagenais mentioned, “that’s good. However I feel it was an unimaginable to share the courtroom with them tonight with such an nice crowd and I’m so glad for the league to tug this off.
“That is the dream that all of us purchased into. That is what we needed to be part of and I feel we gave the followers of volleyball, of the PVF, we gave them an important match and one thing they are often enthusiastic about.”
Little question the PVF was excited concerning the introduced crowd of 11,624 and it ought to be thrilled with the extent of play because the groups with the perceived finest rosters within the seven-team fledgling league went at it.
“That was an important match in entrance of plenty of nice followers,” mentioned Dagenais, who left his job at UCF to affix PVF. “Hey, we’re off the bottom and up and working it.”
Two former Kentucky stars, who simply occurred to go 1-2 final fall in Athletes Limitless, led Atlanta. Leah Edmond had a match-high 27 kills — together with the match-winner, the final of 5 within the fifth set — to go together with two blocks.
Because the match started, “It was a surreal second, that we’re enjoying skilled volleyball within the States,” Edmond mentioned.
Linnehan, who then as Alli Stumler led Kentucky to the spring 2021 NCAA title on this similar constructing, had 13 kills, two blocks and an ace. Stumler, then a junior, had a match-high 26 kills on April 25, 2021, in a four-set victory over Texas.
Clearly she likes being within the CHI Middle.
“I do! It’s residence,” Linnehan mentioned with a smile. “I feel we’re in the identical locker room that we had been in after we gained in school. It’s actually particular to be again right here.”
The Vibe acquired 11 kills and 4 blocks from Grace Cleveland, who performed at Purdue, and 4 kills and 4 blocks from Karis Watson, who performed at Clemson.
Former Oregon star Brooke Nuneviller, who performed final 12 months in Türkiye, completed No. 3 in Athletes Limitless and led the Supernovas with 16 kills — 5 within the third set — and had some spectacular digs, just a few on Edmond. Jess Schaben-Lansman, the previous Iowa State standout who was out of the game as a instructor for 3 years and had a child a 12 months in the past, added 13 kills and three blocks. Veteran Tori Dixon, the Minnesota star who has had an amazing worldwide professional profession, had 9 kills and 5 blocks, and the opposite center, Wisconsin’s Danielle Hart, had 12 kills — 5 within the fourth set — and three blocks. Dominican star Betty De La Cruz had 10 kills, two blocks and three aces.
“It was a spectacle, it was an occasion, it was one thing superb that occurred and we had been so proud to be a part of it,” Omaha coach Shelton Collier mentioned. “This was breaking floor for an expert volleyball league and there may have been 800 folks and a poorly performed match and it was an unimaginable match with an unimaginable crowd, an unimaginable environment.”
Nuneviller famous that Omaha misplaced three units by two factors every.
“There’s a lot that we are able to do higher,” she mentioned. “And I nonetheless suppose we performed nice and I’m not discouraged in any respect. I’m happy with the group for combating as exhausting as they did.”
Collier appeared over at Nuneviller, to his proper on the podium, and to Schaben-Lansmen to his left.
“These two had been a part of historical past,” Colier mentioned. “In future years, there are going to be folks enjoying skilled volleyball and there’s some 13-year-old on the market that watched us play and goes to play skilled volleyball and this was the primary match that she ever noticed in her life.”
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PVF motion continues Thursday when the Columbus Fury play on the Grand Rapids Rise. The primary week wraps up with the Vibe on the Orlando Valkries on Friday.
