OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established Professional Volleyball Federation, are launching the Supernovas Radio Network with the first match, beginning on January 24, 2024, reaching fans throughout the state with stations broadcasting from Lincoln, West Point, Lexington and Scottsbluff.
93.7 The Ticket FM, KNTK-FM in Lincoln, will serve as the flagship radio station for all regular season and postseason matches. In joint conjunction with The Ticket, Nebraska Rural Radio Network will serve as affiliates across the state with coverage on the widely-renown KRVN in Lexington, KOLT in Scottsbluff and KTIC in West Point. Statewide radio coverage of the Supernovas starts with the first Pro Volleyball Federation match on January 24 with Omaha hosting the Atlanta Vibe at the CHI Health Center starting at 7 p.m. CST.
Acclaimed radio personality and veteran sports expert, Derrick Pearson will lead play-by-play duties, with former Nebraska Volleyball National Champion and Skutt Catholic Volleyball head coach Renee Saunders serving as color analyst. Additionally, Enrique Alvarez-Clary will lead the production team for 93.7 The Ticket FM.
“There is no place like Nebraska for professional volleyball to set the world ablaze, and I am excited to be a part of this historic league, this important franchise and this incredible volleyball community,” Pearson said. “The Ticket is honored to bring these games to you from the CHI Health Center and from the road for those fans who can’t make it to these incredible live events.”
“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to be a small part of this inaugural season with the Omaha Supernovas and help bring this once-in-a-lifetime experience to our amazing volleyball fans throughout Nebraska,” Saunders said. “Volleyball has always been a big part of my life, so seeing Real Pro Volleyball come to Omaha, and then to be able to help grow the sport and reach listeners throughout the reach of the Supernovas Radio Network, is a dream come true!”
CEO of Nebraska Rural Radio Network, Tim Marshall, added, “We all know that Nebraska is the epicenter of volleyball and our listeners throughout the state will be just as thrilled to hear the matches as we are to be part of the inaugural Supernovas Radio Network. Having major league professional volleyball in our state and in Year One of this league is special and a result of having the best sports fans right here in our state from West Point to Scottsbluff.”
In the new agreement with The Ticket, the Supernovas will have a radio streaming channel featuring team content. Match broadcasts will be available via the Ticket FM app, Allo Channel 961, the Ticket’s YouTube channel and on the 93.7 The Ticket FM. Matches will be available at http://www.theticketfm.com.
Residents in the Omaha area can listen to all the action on the Ticket FM App, available on all smartphones and tablets, as well as Allo Channel 961.
Derrick Pearson has been doing play-by-play for 30 years in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Lincoln. He has called professional, minor league and collegiate sports throughout the country. Pearson was the official voice of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and hosted the league’s weekly ABA show, ABA Live Talk! He also was the radio play-by-play voice for the Utah Snowbears and Los Angeles Aftershock of the ABA. Pearson was also the General Manager/Owner of the CBA Utah Eagles and was the General Manager and radio play-by-play for the Atlanta Krunk of the CBA. Derrick hosts “Old School” with Nebraska Hall of Famer, Jay Foreman, weekdays on KNTK-FM. He became the owner of The Ticket FM in September 2021.
Renee Saunders is one of the best Nebraska high school athletes and coaches in the state’s history. Saunders was a two-sport standout in basketball and volleyball, being named the Female Athlete of the Year in Nebraska after her senior year by the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. Saunders attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, splitting her time between the Huskers’ basketball and volleyball teams. The Omaha native helped Nebraska Volleyball win its first national championship in program history as a freshman in 1995. After her playing career, Saunders moved into coaching where she’s excelled for over two decades. Following a nine-year stint with the Omaha South volleyball team, Saunders became the head coach at Skutt Catholic where she’s transformed the Skyhawks into one of the premier volleyball programs in the country. Skutt has won a state record nine consecutive Class B Volleyball State titles starting in 2015.
Saunders has been named the National Coach of the Year by the AVCA, VolleyballMag, Athletico and MaxPreps. She has also been named Nebraska Coach of the Year by the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, the first person to win the award as a player and as a coach.
The Nebraska Rural Radio Network is part of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, the only radio group in the nation owned by a cooperative of farmers and ranchers. Along with flagship studios in Lexington, other markets include Scottsbluff, West Point, Broken Bow, Holdrege and York. In addition to the radio stations, the NRRA has production studios on the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. The association and its 15 radio stations share agricultural news, weather updates and general information with greater Nebraska. The network feeds numerous agriculture news and grain and livestock market segments to affiliates throughout the state. The Nebraska Rural Radio Network listening audience reaches six states across the Midwest.
REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7 p.m. CST. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event. Several Supernovas were in attendance and recognized at the world record match.
The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas, Atlanta Vibe, Orlando Valkyries, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, San Diego Mojo and Vegas Thrill. Three expansion teams, Dallas Pro Volleyball, Kansas City Pro Volleyball and Indianapolis Pro Volleyball have been announced for 2025. The Supernovas will have 12 home and 12 away matches as part of a 24-match schedule across a 16-week regular season.
After the regular season concludes, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship in May. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.
ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS
The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION
Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.
