“Thank you, Ally. Wishing you the best on the sand!” the Omaha Supernovas wrote on 21 July, bidding farewell to Ally Batenhorst. Achieving an impressive 2.91 kills/set average across only 44 sets, fans thought this was only the beginning of the rookie pro’s journey to pro volleyball greatness. However, an even bigger bombshell landed after Batenhorst left the Supernovas.

Barely two weeks after Batenhorst joined Sara Hughes to embark on her Olympic beach volleyball dreams, PVF announced a historic merger with MLV. The Pro Volleyball Federation’s massive $325 million deal with Major League Volleyball opened the floodgates for the unified league to commence a free agency period starting August 7. That’s how another former Husker and offensive specialist came in to fill the void.

“Merritt Beason is returning to Nebraska. The Omaha Supernovas signed the former Nebraska volleyball opposite hitter,” reported HuskerOnline staff writer Abby Barmore. Beason and Batenhorst were also teammates at the Nebraska Huskers before the 23-year-old left for the USC Trojans in 2024. However, Beason also found herself in the PFV after graduating at the end of the 2024 season.

In fact, Merritt Beason became the overall #1 pick when the Atlanta Vibe signed her during the PFV’s 2024 Draft. So the former teammates became rivals in their rookie season. Beason, just like her former Husker teammate, put up an impressive season with 191 kills, 148 digs, 23 blocks, and 16 aces, and even made it to the PVF All-Stars team. Yet, Beason isn’t the only high-profile signing for the Supernovas.

2024 PVF Libero of the Year and three-time NCAA Champion Morgan Hentz also signed with the Omaha Supernovas for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, former Wisconsin Badgers and Indie Ignite icon Sydney Hilley, who also won an NCAA title, also joined the former Atlanta Vibe duo as Omaha’s newest members. However, it’s a shame Ally Batenhorst and Merritt Beason won’t reunite, especially considering who they brought on as GM.

Omaha Supernovas drop a general manager surprise

While speaking to USA Volleyball in March, Merrit Beason explained how grateful she was to learn under coach John Cook. “I didn’t think it was possible to have a coach like that at this level,” the 22-year-old said during her interview. Well, it turns out the 2023 AVCA Region Player of the Year is set to be reunited with John Cook.

The Kicker? Cook won’t be the coach this time, having retired on January 30, 2025. Instead, the 69-year-old will play a crucial part in shaping the squad and the Supernovas’ new general manager and part-owner.

The pro volleyball team announced Cook’s appointment in style: “The GOAT is in the front office”. This was followed by a message from John Cook himself. “I’m honored to share with you that I’m gonna be the general manager of the Supernovas and have partial ownership in the team,” Cook said while greeting Nebraska volleyball fans through the Supernovas social media pages.

Needless to say, the man who played a massive role in helping volleyball reach new heights in Nebraska is now looking forward to turning Nebraska into a hotbed for pro volleyball. “We’re really excited about the direction of professional volleyball in this country, and we want the Supernovas to continue to lead the charge,” said the newly appointed Supernovas GM.

Thankfully, the Supernovas have already laid the groundwork, holding the national pro volleyball attendance record. Let us know your thoughts on John Cook and Merritt Beason’s reunion. Share your thoughts in the comments.