April 23, 2026 • 27 mins
Norah TeBrake (formerly Norah Sis) grew up just south of Omaha. She fell in love with volleyball at a very young age and ended up becoming a star at Creighton. Now, she represents her hometown as a player for the Omaha Supernovas. She talks about that journey and what she's looking forward to the last few games of this season as the Novas are in a playoff race.
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
It's the Emory Soccer Podcast live with the free iHeartRadio app.
We're always talking about the great things happening in and
around Omaha, and today we are highlighting the Omaha Supernova's.
They're preparing for their final home match of the season
on Friday night. And one of the star players that
was certainly notable here in the Omaha area before she
was a pro, Norah Tbrock, formerly known as Nora Sis
(00:35):
when she was playing for the Creighton Blue Jays, and
she is in our studio to join the podcast today.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Nora, so great to meet you. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
The volleyball scene in Omaha and in Nebraska, I suppose
is unbelievable. When I moved here a few years ago,
I just had absolutely no idea how deep that was.
We'll talk about the pros and what you got going
on with this for Novis, but as a young girl
growing up in this area, what was that volleyball scene
(01:06):
like and when did you realize this was something you
wanted to pursue beyond school?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yeah, I think growing up here, I think I took
it for grant or maybe didn't notice how big volleyball was. Here.
I My dad was an Oklahoma fan, so I did
not grow up a Huscar fan, nor nor is our
family Creton fan. So I feel like I wasn't too
aware of how big volleyball was growing up. I played
(01:32):
club at Premieer Nebraska as like the top club in
the state, and then I played at Pavilion La Vista,
which was, I mean, very talented school, So I feel
like I was always immersed in it, but never really
saw it from the outside. So it's been really cool.
I mean, I don't know how many people, if any,
can say that they played volleyball at a high level
(01:56):
high school, college, and professionally all in their hometown, which
I think is really cool and something that I'm proud of,
something that I never thought would happen. So yeah, definitely
a big deal here and it's really exciting to be
a part of.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It's a good point.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You can't really miss what you don't know, right, And
me being from Iowa and I was in Des Moines,
I wasn't that far away, and I knew when Nebraska
was good at volleyball. I had friends that lived in
the Omahi area, like that was a big deal. But
I just was like oh, well, Nebraska isn't winning football
games anymore, so you know, they're really excited because the
volleyball team is good. And then I moved here and
everybody's in like a rec volleyball league, and everybody is
(02:30):
paying very close attention to every volleyball thing, no matter
what it is, and I was super excited to hear
about this professional team that was coming up. But while
that was happening, my wife and I we went to
a couple of Creighton games. I love watching games at
so cool, awesome spot, and I realized that it's not
just Nebraska that's good at volleyball. Creighton actually is incredibly
(02:54):
talented at volleyball as well. And I had a lot
of fun going to those matches, and you were one
of the people I got to see. I think it
was your senior year, and how good this team was,
and you guys ended up. I mean, we don't have
to rehash every single thing that you did, but you
made quite a run and we're just a set shy
of potentially making it to the final four in the
(03:14):
NCAA tournament. And I think it gets slept on just
a little bit how good you are because of Nebraska.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And all of the.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Accolades and national championships they had what got you to
stay home and go to Creighton? And did you already
feel like that culture had been built to a point
when you got there, of this is not just another team,
This is a team that's going to be like top
ten in the country.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, for sure, I always say this. But the people
is why I went to Creyton. I knew they were
a top folly ball program, super good academically. Obviously I
went into nursing, so that was a big thingating that helps. Yeah,
really great nursing program, but just the people, I mean
at camps, at visits, it just fell like home immediately.
(03:57):
I could tell from day one that coach Booth cared
about her athletes as as humans, not just foyball players,
which I wasn't really on my radar until she made
that very clear, and I was like, whoa, I don't
think i've heard a coach here about like me as
a human as much as as you already do. And
I wasn't even committed yet, So that was definitely a
(04:19):
key aspect of it. And yeah, I mean from day
one of us getting there that we had a big
recruiting class. I don't know what number we were, but
they were excited about our class coming in. And I think,
I mean, over the years, Creighton has just continued to
get better and better and better. Coach Booth built an
amazing culture. That's why so many people, I would say
almost all the girls, that's their number one reason of
(04:41):
why they chose Creighton. So I think to build a
culture that strong with talented players is such a special
thing because you're just that much more bought in for
one another. It's not about me, me, me, what can
I do? How can I get better? But we were
so bought into each other and what we wanted to
build over the years that I mean, we had very
(05:02):
few people leave or transfer out, and that's becoming a
really big thing these days. But I think it just
goes to show how special and close knit the community
at creating this.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Yeah, volleyball, we don't hear as much about the transfer
portal as let's say basketball and football, but it definitely
still exists. And even with a program like you guys,
which you know, if you were at Louisville or Pittsburgh
or Nebraska, they have eyeballs on those kind of that
next tier of programs that have star players like you?
(05:33):
What are you like six three sixty four? I mean
you look way taller than that, but yeah, so, but
like you have the prototypical build for an attacker and
she's playing at a high level for a really good team.
Could she fit our you know, our mold, especially when
you guys have so many great players on your team.
(05:53):
What were those conversations even happening for you?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Were there conversations from your coaching staff to try to
ta all of you knowing that you could be targets
of some of the larger Power conference programs that might
be interested in having you fill a gap that they
felt like you could be a good fit for.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I mean yes, and no. I think Coach Booth always
like should always reiterate to us, to us like we
are so glad you're here. We want you to be
a Blue Jail for years. I mean I think I
don't know that was never on my radar to leave
or to look into anything else. And I would say
the same about our whole class. We had a couple
of really high level transfers come in our senior year,
(06:32):
which was really special, and I think it's so cool
to see and to hear them talk about, like, oh
my gosh, I like fell more in love with the
sports since I came to Creton. I just think that's
such a testament of the culture that coach Booth and
the coaching staff built over the years. And yeah, I
think once you're in it, once you've been in the
(06:53):
thick of curtin volleyball, creating athletics, it's it really really
hard to.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Want to leave Kristen Bernhalbooth, not the coach Creighton More.
It was kind of a surprise when she decided to
step away. And my first thought, you know, was a
normal sports fan, Okay, so well, she's going to coach somewhere.
But then she didn't. And I saw her. I went
to the Creighton you and I volleyball match. That was
a tournament match this I think December, and she was
(07:20):
there cheering her kid on who plays for Northern Iowa.
And you know, you see her and she's still very young.
I mean, there's a lot of coaches that coach twenty
twenty five years longer than you know, the age that
she is right now. Was that a surprise to you
when she decided to step away?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I don't know if it was a surprise necessarily, but
it was very emotional for me. I literally showed up
to practice the next day at the team I was
playing for at the time and was like crying because
I was watching the press conference of her and I
was I was so sad. I mean, she's, like I
keep saying, she's built this incredible program in culture and
(07:57):
I was happy for her, but it was really emotional.
It was cool that we got to our class was
her last class. But yeah, I'm super happy for her.
I know the family is like number one for her,
so it's super super cool to see her just being able. Yeah,
to watch her daughter play when her daughter was playing,
when she was still coaching, I know she maybe saw
(08:19):
one or two of her games, which was even rare. Yeah,
So I'm super just excited for her in that way
and to just be she I actually got together with
her the other day and she was saying, you know,
I think it's good for my long term health that
I am not as invested in the wins and losses,
because that was really emotional for me. So I'm happy
for her in a lot of ways. And she's crushing
(08:41):
the new role that she's in.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
So yeah, and Creighton volleyball once again, right back to
the sweet sixteen last year, a team that is going
to continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
How many of you guys are in the pros? I mean,
we have four of you right now you Alison hold
Her at least guess he just got back here, Ryan Hart.
Those are four former Creighton players that are just on
(09:04):
the Omaha Supernovas, and I know there are a few more.
I mean, what does that say about this program and
what you guys have built that there are professional teams
with no like Of course, obviously it's great to have
Omaha people or Nebraska people playing for the Omaha Supernovas,
but they don't care about that in this league. They
care about you being quality players and they're gobbling up
(09:26):
Creighton players left and right.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
What does that say about what this program is?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
I think I don't know. The first thought that gomes
my mind is that us girls that came from creating,
they're still playing pro. We never lost the joy for
the sport. You see a lot of players get burnt
out through their college years. By their senior year, I
mean it's a lot, but I just Yeah, such a
(09:51):
big part of my experience at Creaton was just joy
so joyful to get to play with such a fun group.
And we really focus on attitude, which I helped. I
feel like helped us stay just present in the moment
and really like soaking up all the hardships and also
all the really fun stuff, which I feel like definitely
(10:11):
helps us not get burnt out or at least want
to keep playing at the next level. So I feel
like that says a lot about Yeah, just the love
of the game that we all experienced at Creaton and
how that didn't fade out Beyond Nebraska and Creighton. We're
producing a lot of high level players and it's fun
(10:31):
to see a lot of us sting in Omaha, sting
in the Nebraska area for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Yeah, for couple of former Huskers, including Merrett Beeston on
this Supernova's team. I talked to Brooke Dneviller about this.
I've talked to Gosh. I think I had a really
interesting conversation last year with Caitlin Horde about just Okay,
so this is a professional women's volleyball league in the
(10:58):
United States, and it's happening, and it's for real, and
We're trying to make this like a legitimate thing and
build it so financially it's stable. Something that you feel like,
why hasn't this happened before? But it has been a
struggle in this country, especially to build something like this.
You're probably what a sophomore when this gets announced is
(11:18):
like a league that's going to happen?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
What's going through your mind?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Because you're already a really strong player, and I know
you still had plenty of a collegiate career, But what
did that mean to you as a volleyball player to
see the effort and the investment that was being made
and trying to create an American professional volleyball league and
one that could be sustainable for players like you and
for players after you.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, it definitely changed my whole perspective of what was
coming in the next few years for me. Yeah, before
the league got announced, I assumed I would be done
after my four years at Greaton. I knew I didn't
want to play overseas, that I'm just a homebody, and
I knew that wasn't in the guards for me. So
I yeah, when this league got announced, I I mean,
(12:02):
it completely changed everything I started. I feel like I
bought in a lot more because I knew, okay, well
this could I could make a career out of this. Like, yeah,
it's super cool to just see our country investing in
young female athletes. Yeah, we're just we're super blessed to
(12:23):
be able to. I mean, it's I still find it
so weird that this is my job, and I like
stutter every time I say that because I'm like this,
I guess I'm going to work. I don't. I feel
like guilty almost sometimes, just how blessed and spoiled we are.
We're so spoiled, especially with the super Novas. They take
care of us so well, oh my gosh, they're just
(12:45):
pouring into us left and right. So yeah, it's it's
been incredible and just so cool to see also the
next generation hoping and like desiring to play professionally because
that was never something that I grew up with or seeing,
which is super cool them.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I okay, So the Supernovas are a thing, and they're
the team that I know because they're in town. I
can't speak on the behalf of any of these other teams.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I know.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
They really want to make people feel like they can
they know this team and so they put a real
emphasis on not just having really good players, because they
get great players from all sorts of places, you know, Wisconsin,
Ohio State. You know, obviously they look at some of
the other big powers and you know, grab a player
from Kansas, grab a player from you know, Florida, whatever
(13:32):
is going to fit the team the best. But they
want players that are appreciative of the culture of volleyball here.
And I couldn't imagine what it's like being a volleyball player.
And I guess this could go for WNBA players as well.
You're finishing your senior season. You know, this is the
end of your college career. Concurrently, the professional season is
(13:54):
starting in January, so they're doing their homework and they're
going to draft these teams and they're going to sign
their players, and camp is going to start for you,
what like a week or two after your season ends.
What was that process for you, like, because you had
to know, because of the level you were playing at
that you were on a lot of draft boards and
you were incredibly likely to get selected by one of
these teams. Were they contacting you ahead of time about
(14:16):
your interest level? Were you being asked questions about where
you'd like to play. What was that scenario like for
you as you were kind of winding down your senior
season knowing this was on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yeah, it honestly kind of reminded me of being recruited
for college, like similar conversations. They were allowed to talk
to us about certain things, not allowed to talk to
us about other things. How soon, Oh gosh, I feel
like I was talking to coaches in September. Oh so
basically the beginning yea, yeah, I mean it was it
started slow and ramped up. I would assume this year,
(14:50):
girls are getting talked to earlier and earlier, just because
of the different leagues and different opportunities. But yeah, it
started in the middle or early in your season, I
would say. And yeah, the draft was maybe like the
week before the Big East Tournament, which originally I was,
and I talked to coach Booth about this. I was like,
I don't want this to be like a distraction, like
(15:12):
this is like such bad timing whatever, But then she
kind of reminded me, and it did. It did prove true.
It was like honestly good timing because to have all
that play out a couple two or three weeks before
the NCAA tournament was was really nice. I mean, I
knew where I was going. I didn't have to worry
about any of the more of that, the stress went away.
(15:33):
And then to really like soak in those last few
weeks with my college team. They honestly was good timing.
But yeah, definitely a lot a latch process. But the
turnaround was quick. I think I don't remember maybe two
weeks of not playing.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So you were in the Elite eight and you guys
losing five sets, a heartbreaking loss to Penn State. Otherwise
you would played Nebraska in the final four, which would
have been just a mind blowing scenario but an.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Incredible run for a great team.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
And you sit and you get a chance maybe to
like just catch your bearings, and oh, another season for
four and a half months is like about to start
and you got to get the camp.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Did you process that at the time.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Were you excited for that opportunity or were you kind
of like, oh, man, this is this is a lot
there's a lot of volleyball right now.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, No, I was excited. I think it was, yeah,
just because it was such a quick turnaround. I feel
like I was telling this to someone the other day.
I feel like I didn't process that I was done
at great Obviously I knew, but I feel like my
emotion I didn't process my emotions until after my first
pro season, honestly, because one just kind of went right
into that.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
You didn't have any time, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, And I think that's why. Also, I was so
emotional when coach Booth announced that she was stepping down
because I was like, oh my gosh, like this feels
like the end of this chapter all over again. But
I feel like, yeah, it definitely took a wild process
just going one into the other. Surprisingly, my body felt
pretty good. Honestly, I was amazed. This is gonna sound
(17:02):
silly because everyone always talks about how good sleep is
for you. I was amazed at how good my body
felt in the spring my first pro season because I
was out of school and so I actually could sleep
as much as my body needed to, and that was
like a huge thing for me. So honestly, physically it
actually wasn't too bad. I mean, towards the end, it
(17:22):
gets long. That's a long time.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
So were you done with your schooling and that semester
when your college season wrapped up.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I was I was doing online school. The create a
nursing program did Oh my gosh, took so many They
did so much for me and Kendrick Waite, who was
doing the same thing at the time. They allowed us
to switch a couple of our classes in the spring
to online. They allowed us to do a couple of
online classes in the summer. They allowed us to do
our final nursing preceptorship, which is basically like internship in
(17:53):
the summer, and they brought in staff just for that.
Like they were amazing. So we were in school our
first pro season, but online just different.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Very twenty twenties.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Like you tell our parents that that's something that could
have happened, they would have been like, wow, that's crazy.
So Nora, you get selected, you're the third overall pick
of that draft. You go to what is now known
as Major League Volleyball, and you play for Orlando. They
end up going and winning the title, and you're around
players that are not just of your age, and you're
(18:27):
one of the best players in the country at the
collegiate level, but we're talking about twenty six year olds,
twenty eight year olds, thirty one year olds that have
been doing this a long time and you're seeing just
a completely different version of the game really with so
many different archetypes of players, which is really one of
the cool things about pro sports. It's just there's so
many different types of players at all these different sports.
What was the transition of the play on the court, like,
(18:48):
and especially knowing that you knew you were gonna have
to earn your time on the floor because as good
as you were in college, every single player in this
league is at that level and in a lot of
ways just even at a more physical peak because they
have been literally just training their body for professional sports
for five, six, seven years.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Yeah, I would say the biggest different or like adjustment
right away on the court was not even like the
speed of the game. I mean, you have players in
college that can really whack the ball like the I
feel like nothing was like that much. No one was
(19:27):
hitting that much harder, no one was serving that much faster.
I feel like it was more just like there's just
smarter players, Like you don't necessarily have to hit the
ball the hardest, but if you can be the smartest
make good shots. I mean, you can just tell when
someone's been around the sport for longer than you have
and they're just making really smart decisions. Our cetter was, yeah,
(19:47):
thirty one from Thailand, played on their national team for many,
many years and she's just a genius like current volleyball
IQ is through the roof. So I feel like that
was one of the biggest adjustments, was just like the
speed of a game, but in the sense of just
like outsmarting the other team. Was something that took me
a while to get the hang up.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
So I don't know how you guys contracts work, and
I'm guessing year two year with as much player movement
we see from all these different teams, and it's good
for the league because there's a lot of parody right now.
It really feels like anybody can beat anybody in Major
League Volleyball. But I'm sure when you got a phone
call from brand new general manager John Cook in this
offseason that you know they were interested in bringing you
(20:30):
back to Omaha for a chance to play for the Supernovas.
What was that conversation like in what was your reaction
to that? Did you want to stay in Orlando? Did
you feel like you had a good first year even
though you guys win the title. But there's a ton
of great players that you're trying to work your way into.
What was that decision like for you when you came
to play for Omaha.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Yeah, free agency was kind of funky this last year.
We were all just waiting, waiting, waiting, and then one
day they were like, okay, it's open, which was good.
I feel like to have a couple months their process,
honestly after season ended, kind of figure things out. What
I wanted to do, what I didn't want.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Did you come back here?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Yes? I was finishing school here, okay, But yeah when
John Cook, I mean, it all happened really fast. I
had a lot of phone calls in the span of
twenty four hours. Maybe, And yeah, part of me really
liked being in Orlando and kind of having this other
world and going on in this adventure.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
And you went to college basically in your hometown.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah, yeah, it was fun for me to leave and
explore and be on my own. But then also another
part of me really missed all my people, just my
community here, my family, and just like the comfortability of
being here. And then obviously, I mean, Omaha has the
best fans in the nation. It's the coolest experience at
(21:58):
CHI and just day in and day out the support
that we have, So I feel like I was hanging
on to it for a little longer than I needed to,
kind of considering all my options. But then I had
a conversation with my now husband and he's like, you're
really going to pass up on an opportunity to play
(22:18):
professionally in your hometown. Like, after we talked about it
and I talked to my family, it kind of just
all clicked and it seemed it seemed like the obvious choice.
I mean, yeah, no, like I said earlier, no, not
a lot of people can say that they played their
whole lives professionally, collegiately, high school, club in all in
the same city.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, it's really awesome. Now I know that the season's
wrapping up. You guys have a couple of games left.
One home game here you're going to be taking on
I think it's Columbus on Friday night, and an opportunity
against a team that's at the bottom of the league standings.
The playoffs are on the line. Last year you were
a league champion. You know what it's like to win
the trophy. And this is a team that's gone through
(23:01):
coaching change now recently, and it feels like every single
player has to be ready to get into the game,
every single player is thinking, like you know, It's one
of the cool things about watching it is you just
never know who's going to be the hero in any
one time. There have been a lot of matches where
you've gotten a lot of run out there, and you've
been utilized as a server. You've been utilized as an
(23:23):
attacker in the front row, which you know is what
you know made your bread essentially in college.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
So what has been that transition to this team.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
And now being a part of you know, kind of
a dogfight to get into the playoffs and wanting to
not just win everything, but to you know, coalesce and
climax this team together with all the challenges that you
guys have had this year, with as much talent as
you feel like, you have a lot of injuries, a
lot of players missing time, where you guys now have
an opportunity to still make the playoffs and have a
(23:52):
run at this title. What are you looking for here
the last couple of games.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Man, I We're just on a hot streak right now
and I'm excited for the hopefully four games. Yeah, I
think it honestly at the beginning of the season kind
of in the middle there it was. I mean, it
was easy to get like down when we would lose
a couple of games in a row. But now we
look at it, we're I don't know what we're honestly sitting.
I think fourth, And I also don't know our record.
(24:18):
At one time we were in third place and we
were at five.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
We were Yeah, you're five hundred now and you're in fourth. Yeah,
there was a time I think you were like tied
for second and you were like a game or two
above five hundred, yeah, which kind of just tells you
how balanced the whole league really is. It makes it
fun for a spectator because you just never know what's
going to happen. There's no there's no slam dunk.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
It makes it fun for us too, I mean you
I think also, even though the league is incredibly balanced
this year, I think everyone honestly wants to beat us
the most, which is kind of a fun spot to
be in.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Everybody wish they were playing at Omaha.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah. Yeah, so we know we're gonna get everyone's best,
which is which is always fun. And I think, yeah,
just in these few games, I feel like we've really
kind of hit our stride and are getting that spark
of just giving our best to everyone else when they're
going to give us their best. We have a very
very competitive team and we see that in practice every day.
(25:13):
We're i mean chirping at each other and just very competitive.
So yeah, I'm just excited for what this team has
in us for the next couple of weeks, and it's
sad that it's coming down to it. Our team is
really really close. It's a super super special group and
we just keep saying every day that we're just trying
to soak in every last minute with these girls. Because yeah,
(25:35):
since like you said, teams are changing every year, there's
a lot of movement, so we know that we'll never
this exact team will never all be together again, which
is sad, but I think it's really helping us just
come together and fight for one another, and.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
It's gonna it makes a lot of fun for fans
because we love to see as many good players that
we can recognize as possible. But there's a lot of
young players like you and Meryrett Beeson that are just
you know, starting your professional career. Our fingers are crossed
that we can continue to have you guys playing for
the Supernovas for as long as we can together. And
who knows some of the stars that are going to
(26:08):
be joining this league into the future and who might
also end up on the Omaha Supernovas. Nor Tbrock, you're
gonna be able to see her Friday night chi Heuse
Center as the Supernovas host their last home game of
the season as they take on Columbus Nora. It was
so great to have you in the studio. It's great
to learn about your journey and I can't wait to
see what happens on Friday night.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Thank you very much. We're excited and.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Thank you for listening to the Emory Songer podcast on
this feed go into the Supernova's or you're just following along.
Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back in
this feed next week. We'll have plenty of more conversations.
You excited for stuff that's happening this summer in the
city of Omaha.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Until then, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
You've been listening to the Emorysunger podcast on the iHeartRadio
app
It's the Emory Soccer Podcast live with the free iHeartRadio app.
We're always talking about the great things happening in and
around Omaha, and today we are highlighting the Omaha Supernova's.
They're preparing for their final home match of the season
on Friday night. And one of the star players that
was certainly notable here in the Omaha area before she
was a pro, Norah Tbrock, formerly known as Nora Sis
(00:35):
when she was playing for the Creighton Blue Jays, and
she is in our studio to join the podcast today.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Nora, so great to meet you. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
The volleyball scene in Omaha and in Nebraska, I suppose
is unbelievable. When I moved here a few years ago,
I just had absolutely no idea how deep that was.
We'll talk about the pros and what you got going
on with this for Novis, but as a young girl
growing up in this area, what was that volleyball scene
(01:06):
like and when did you realize this was something you
wanted to pursue beyond school?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yeah, I think growing up here, I think I took
it for grant or maybe didn't notice how big volleyball was. Here.
I My dad was an Oklahoma fan, so I did
not grow up a Huscar fan, nor nor is our
family Creton fan. So I feel like I wasn't too
aware of how big volleyball was growing up. I played
(01:32):
club at Premieer Nebraska as like the top club in
the state, and then I played at Pavilion La Vista,
which was, I mean, very talented school, So I feel
like I was always immersed in it, but never really
saw it from the outside. So it's been really cool.
I mean, I don't know how many people, if any,
can say that they played volleyball at a high level
(01:56):
high school, college, and professionally all in their hometown, which
I think is really cool and something that I'm proud of,
something that I never thought would happen. So yeah, definitely
a big deal here and it's really exciting to be
a part of.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It's a good point.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You can't really miss what you don't know, right, And
me being from Iowa and I was in Des Moines,
I wasn't that far away, and I knew when Nebraska
was good at volleyball. I had friends that lived in
the Omahi area, like that was a big deal. But
I just was like oh, well, Nebraska isn't winning football
games anymore, so you know, they're really excited because the
volleyball team is good. And then I moved here and
everybody's in like a rec volleyball league, and everybody is
(02:30):
paying very close attention to every volleyball thing, no matter
what it is, and I was super excited to hear
about this professional team that was coming up. But while
that was happening, my wife and I we went to
a couple of Creighton games. I love watching games at
so cool, awesome spot, and I realized that it's not
just Nebraska that's good at volleyball. Creighton actually is incredibly
(02:54):
talented at volleyball as well. And I had a lot
of fun going to those matches, and you were one
of the people I got to see. I think it
was your senior year, and how good this team was,
and you guys ended up. I mean, we don't have
to rehash every single thing that you did, but you
made quite a run and we're just a set shy
of potentially making it to the final four in the
(03:14):
NCAA tournament. And I think it gets slept on just
a little bit how good you are because of Nebraska.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And all of the.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Accolades and national championships they had what got you to
stay home and go to Creighton? And did you already
feel like that culture had been built to a point
when you got there, of this is not just another team,
This is a team that's going to be like top
ten in the country.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, for sure, I always say this. But the people
is why I went to Creyton. I knew they were
a top folly ball program, super good academically. Obviously I
went into nursing, so that was a big thingating that helps. Yeah,
really great nursing program, but just the people, I mean
at camps, at visits, it just fell like home immediately.
(03:57):
I could tell from day one that coach Booth cared
about her athletes as as humans, not just foyball players,
which I wasn't really on my radar until she made
that very clear, and I was like, whoa, I don't
think i've heard a coach here about like me as
a human as much as as you already do. And
I wasn't even committed yet, So that was definitely a
(04:19):
key aspect of it. And yeah, I mean from day
one of us getting there that we had a big
recruiting class. I don't know what number we were, but
they were excited about our class coming in. And I think,
I mean, over the years, Creighton has just continued to
get better and better and better. Coach Booth built an
amazing culture. That's why so many people, I would say
almost all the girls, that's their number one reason of
(04:41):
why they chose Creighton. So I think to build a
culture that strong with talented players is such a special
thing because you're just that much more bought in for
one another. It's not about me, me, me, what can
I do? How can I get better? But we were
so bought into each other and what we wanted to
build over the years that I mean, we had very
(05:02):
few people leave or transfer out, and that's becoming a
really big thing these days. But I think it just
goes to show how special and close knit the community
at creating this.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Yeah, volleyball, we don't hear as much about the transfer
portal as let's say basketball and football, but it definitely
still exists. And even with a program like you guys,
which you know, if you were at Louisville or Pittsburgh
or Nebraska, they have eyeballs on those kind of that
next tier of programs that have star players like you?
(05:33):
What are you like six three sixty four? I mean
you look way taller than that, but yeah, so, but
like you have the prototypical build for an attacker and
she's playing at a high level for a really good team.
Could she fit our you know, our mold, especially when
you guys have so many great players on your team.
(05:53):
What were those conversations even happening for you?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Were there conversations from your coaching staff to try to
ta all of you knowing that you could be targets
of some of the larger Power conference programs that might
be interested in having you fill a gap that they
felt like you could be a good fit for.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I mean yes, and no. I think Coach Booth always
like should always reiterate to us, to us like we
are so glad you're here. We want you to be
a Blue Jail for years. I mean I think I
don't know that was never on my radar to leave
or to look into anything else. And I would say
the same about our whole class. We had a couple
of really high level transfers come in our senior year,
(06:32):
which was really special, and I think it's so cool
to see and to hear them talk about, like, oh
my gosh, I like fell more in love with the
sports since I came to Creton. I just think that's
such a testament of the culture that coach Booth and
the coaching staff built over the years. And yeah, I
think once you're in it, once you've been in the
(06:53):
thick of curtin volleyball, creating athletics, it's it really really
hard to.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Want to leave Kristen Bernhalbooth, not the coach Creighton More.
It was kind of a surprise when she decided to
step away. And my first thought, you know, was a
normal sports fan, Okay, so well, she's going to coach somewhere.
But then she didn't. And I saw her. I went
to the Creighton you and I volleyball match. That was
a tournament match this I think December, and she was
(07:20):
there cheering her kid on who plays for Northern Iowa.
And you know, you see her and she's still very young.
I mean, there's a lot of coaches that coach twenty
twenty five years longer than you know, the age that
she is right now. Was that a surprise to you
when she decided to step away?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I don't know if it was a surprise necessarily, but
it was very emotional for me. I literally showed up
to practice the next day at the team I was
playing for at the time and was like crying because
I was watching the press conference of her and I
was I was so sad. I mean, she's, like I
keep saying, she's built this incredible program in culture and
(07:57):
I was happy for her, but it was really emotional.
It was cool that we got to our class was
her last class. But yeah, I'm super happy for her.
I know the family is like number one for her,
so it's super super cool to see her just being able. Yeah,
to watch her daughter play when her daughter was playing,
when she was still coaching, I know she maybe saw
(08:19):
one or two of her games, which was even rare. Yeah,
So I'm super just excited for her in that way
and to just be she I actually got together with
her the other day and she was saying, you know,
I think it's good for my long term health that
I am not as invested in the wins and losses,
because that was really emotional for me. So I'm happy
for her in a lot of ways. And she's crushing
(08:41):
the new role that she's in.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
So yeah, and Creighton volleyball once again, right back to
the sweet sixteen last year, a team that is going
to continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
How many of you guys are in the pros? I mean,
we have four of you right now you Alison hold
Her at least guess he just got back here, Ryan Hart.
Those are four former Creighton players that are just on
(09:04):
the Omaha Supernovas, and I know there are a few more.
I mean, what does that say about this program and
what you guys have built that there are professional teams
with no like Of course, obviously it's great to have
Omaha people or Nebraska people playing for the Omaha Supernovas,
but they don't care about that in this league. They
care about you being quality players and they're gobbling up
(09:26):
Creighton players left and right.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
What does that say about what this program is?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
I think I don't know. The first thought that gomes
my mind is that us girls that came from creating,
they're still playing pro. We never lost the joy for
the sport. You see a lot of players get burnt
out through their college years. By their senior year, I
mean it's a lot, but I just Yeah, such a
(09:51):
big part of my experience at Creaton was just joy
so joyful to get to play with such a fun group.
And we really focus on attitude, which I helped. I
feel like helped us stay just present in the moment
and really like soaking up all the hardships and also
all the really fun stuff, which I feel like definitely
(10:11):
helps us not get burnt out or at least want
to keep playing at the next level. So I feel
like that says a lot about Yeah, just the love
of the game that we all experienced at Creaton and
how that didn't fade out Beyond Nebraska and Creighton. We're
producing a lot of high level players and it's fun
(10:31):
to see a lot of us sting in Omaha, sting
in the Nebraska area for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Yeah, for couple of former Huskers, including Merrett Beeston on
this Supernova's team. I talked to Brooke Dneviller about this.
I've talked to Gosh. I think I had a really
interesting conversation last year with Caitlin Horde about just Okay,
so this is a professional women's volleyball league in the
(10:58):
United States, and it's happening, and it's for real, and
We're trying to make this like a legitimate thing and
build it so financially it's stable. Something that you feel like,
why hasn't this happened before? But it has been a
struggle in this country, especially to build something like this.
You're probably what a sophomore when this gets announced is
(11:18):
like a league that's going to happen?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
What's going through your mind?
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Because you're already a really strong player, and I know
you still had plenty of a collegiate career, But what
did that mean to you as a volleyball player to
see the effort and the investment that was being made
and trying to create an American professional volleyball league and
one that could be sustainable for players like you and
for players after you.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, it definitely changed my whole perspective of what was
coming in the next few years for me. Yeah, before
the league got announced, I assumed I would be done
after my four years at Greaton. I knew I didn't
want to play overseas, that I'm just a homebody, and
I knew that wasn't in the guards for me. So
I yeah, when this league got announced, I I mean,
(12:02):
it completely changed everything I started. I feel like I
bought in a lot more because I knew, okay, well
this could I could make a career out of this. Like, yeah,
it's super cool to just see our country investing in
young female athletes. Yeah, we're just we're super blessed to
(12:23):
be able to. I mean, it's I still find it
so weird that this is my job, and I like
stutter every time I say that because I'm like this,
I guess I'm going to work. I don't. I feel
like guilty almost sometimes, just how blessed and spoiled we are.
We're so spoiled, especially with the super Novas. They take
care of us so well, oh my gosh, they're just
(12:45):
pouring into us left and right. So yeah, it's it's
been incredible and just so cool to see also the
next generation hoping and like desiring to play professionally because
that was never something that I grew up with or seeing,
which is super cool them.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I okay, So the Supernovas are a thing, and they're
the team that I know because they're in town. I
can't speak on the behalf of any of these other teams.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I know.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
They really want to make people feel like they can
they know this team and so they put a real
emphasis on not just having really good players, because they
get great players from all sorts of places, you know, Wisconsin,
Ohio State. You know, obviously they look at some of
the other big powers and you know, grab a player
from Kansas, grab a player from you know, Florida, whatever
(13:32):
is going to fit the team the best. But they
want players that are appreciative of the culture of volleyball here.
And I couldn't imagine what it's like being a volleyball player.
And I guess this could go for WNBA players as well.
You're finishing your senior season. You know, this is the
end of your college career. Concurrently, the professional season is
(13:54):
starting in January, so they're doing their homework and they're
going to draft these teams and they're going to sign
their players, and camp is going to start for you,
what like a week or two after your season ends.
What was that process for you, like, because you had
to know, because of the level you were playing at
that you were on a lot of draft boards and
you were incredibly likely to get selected by one of
these teams. Were they contacting you ahead of time about
(14:16):
your interest level? Were you being asked questions about where
you'd like to play. What was that scenario like for
you as you were kind of winding down your senior
season knowing this was on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yeah, it honestly kind of reminded me of being recruited
for college, like similar conversations. They were allowed to talk
to us about certain things, not allowed to talk to
us about other things. How soon, Oh gosh, I feel
like I was talking to coaches in September. Oh so
basically the beginning yea, yeah, I mean it was it
started slow and ramped up. I would assume this year,
(14:50):
girls are getting talked to earlier and earlier, just because
of the different leagues and different opportunities. But yeah, it
started in the middle or early in your season, I
would say. And yeah, the draft was maybe like the
week before the Big East Tournament, which originally I was,
and I talked to coach Booth about this. I was like,
I don't want this to be like a distraction, like
(15:12):
this is like such bad timing whatever, But then she
kind of reminded me, and it did. It did prove true.
It was like honestly good timing because to have all
that play out a couple two or three weeks before
the NCAA tournament was was really nice. I mean, I
knew where I was going. I didn't have to worry
about any of the more of that, the stress went away.
(15:33):
And then to really like soak in those last few
weeks with my college team. They honestly was good timing.
But yeah, definitely a lot a latch process. But the
turnaround was quick. I think I don't remember maybe two
weeks of not playing.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So you were in the Elite eight and you guys
losing five sets, a heartbreaking loss to Penn State. Otherwise
you would played Nebraska in the final four, which would
have been just a mind blowing scenario but an.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Incredible run for a great team.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
And you sit and you get a chance maybe to
like just catch your bearings, and oh, another season for
four and a half months is like about to start
and you got to get the camp.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Did you process that at the time.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Were you excited for that opportunity or were you kind
of like, oh, man, this is this is a lot
there's a lot of volleyball right now.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, No, I was excited. I think it was, yeah,
just because it was such a quick turnaround. I feel
like I was telling this to someone the other day.
I feel like I didn't process that I was done
at great Obviously I knew, but I feel like my
emotion I didn't process my emotions until after my first
pro season, honestly, because one just kind of went right
into that.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
You didn't have any time, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, And I think that's why. Also, I was so
emotional when coach Booth announced that she was stepping down
because I was like, oh my gosh, like this feels
like the end of this chapter all over again. But
I feel like, yeah, it definitely took a wild process
just going one into the other. Surprisingly, my body felt
pretty good. Honestly, I was amazed. This is gonna sound
(17:02):
silly because everyone always talks about how good sleep is
for you. I was amazed at how good my body
felt in the spring my first pro season because I
was out of school and so I actually could sleep
as much as my body needed to, and that was
like a huge thing for me. So honestly, physically it
actually wasn't too bad. I mean, towards the end, it
(17:22):
gets long. That's a long time.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
So were you done with your schooling and that semester
when your college season wrapped up.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I was I was doing online school. The create a
nursing program did Oh my gosh, took so many They
did so much for me and Kendrick Waite, who was
doing the same thing at the time. They allowed us
to switch a couple of our classes in the spring
to online. They allowed us to do a couple of
online classes in the summer. They allowed us to do
our final nursing preceptorship, which is basically like internship in
(17:53):
the summer, and they brought in staff just for that.
Like they were amazing. So we were in school our
first pro season, but online just different.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Very twenty twenties.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Like you tell our parents that that's something that could
have happened, they would have been like, wow, that's crazy.
So Nora, you get selected, you're the third overall pick
of that draft. You go to what is now known
as Major League Volleyball, and you play for Orlando. They
end up going and winning the title, and you're around
players that are not just of your age, and you're
(18:27):
one of the best players in the country at the
collegiate level, but we're talking about twenty six year olds,
twenty eight year olds, thirty one year olds that have
been doing this a long time and you're seeing just
a completely different version of the game really with so
many different archetypes of players, which is really one of
the cool things about pro sports. It's just there's so
many different types of players at all these different sports.
What was the transition of the play on the court, like,
(18:48):
and especially knowing that you knew you were gonna have
to earn your time on the floor because as good
as you were in college, every single player in this
league is at that level and in a lot of
ways just even at a more physical peak because they
have been literally just training their body for professional sports
for five, six, seven years.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Yeah, I would say the biggest different or like adjustment
right away on the court was not even like the
speed of the game. I mean, you have players in
college that can really whack the ball like the I
feel like nothing was like that much. No one was
(19:27):
hitting that much harder, no one was serving that much faster.
I feel like it was more just like there's just
smarter players, Like you don't necessarily have to hit the
ball the hardest, but if you can be the smartest
make good shots. I mean, you can just tell when
someone's been around the sport for longer than you have
and they're just making really smart decisions. Our cetter was, yeah,
(19:47):
thirty one from Thailand, played on their national team for many,
many years and she's just a genius like current volleyball
IQ is through the roof. So I feel like that
was one of the biggest adjustments, was just like the
speed of a game, but in the sense of just
like outsmarting the other team. Was something that took me
a while to get the hang up.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
So I don't know how you guys contracts work, and
I'm guessing year two year with as much player movement
we see from all these different teams, and it's good
for the league because there's a lot of parody right now.
It really feels like anybody can beat anybody in Major
League Volleyball. But I'm sure when you got a phone
call from brand new general manager John Cook in this
offseason that you know they were interested in bringing you
(20:30):
back to Omaha for a chance to play for the Supernovas.
What was that conversation like in what was your reaction
to that? Did you want to stay in Orlando? Did
you feel like you had a good first year even
though you guys win the title. But there's a ton
of great players that you're trying to work your way into.
What was that decision like for you when you came
to play for Omaha.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Yeah, free agency was kind of funky this last year.
We were all just waiting, waiting, waiting, and then one
day they were like, okay, it's open, which was good.
I feel like to have a couple months their process,
honestly after season ended, kind of figure things out. What
I wanted to do, what I didn't want.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Did you come back here?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Yes? I was finishing school here, okay, But yeah when
John Cook, I mean, it all happened really fast. I
had a lot of phone calls in the span of
twenty four hours. Maybe, And yeah, part of me really
liked being in Orlando and kind of having this other
world and going on in this adventure.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
And you went to college basically in your hometown.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah, yeah, it was fun for me to leave and
explore and be on my own. But then also another
part of me really missed all my people, just my
community here, my family, and just like the comfortability of
being here. And then obviously, I mean, Omaha has the
best fans in the nation. It's the coolest experience at
(21:58):
CHI and just day in and day out the support
that we have, So I feel like I was hanging
on to it for a little longer than I needed to,
kind of considering all my options. But then I had
a conversation with my now husband and he's like, you're
really going to pass up on an opportunity to play
(22:18):
professionally in your hometown. Like, after we talked about it
and I talked to my family, it kind of just
all clicked and it seemed it seemed like the obvious choice.
I mean, yeah, no, like I said earlier, no, not
a lot of people can say that they played their
whole lives professionally, collegiately, high school, club in all in
the same city.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, it's really awesome. Now I know that the season's
wrapping up. You guys have a couple of games left.
One home game here you're going to be taking on
I think it's Columbus on Friday night, and an opportunity
against a team that's at the bottom of the league standings.
The playoffs are on the line. Last year you were
a league champion. You know what it's like to win
the trophy. And this is a team that's gone through
(23:01):
coaching change now recently, and it feels like every single
player has to be ready to get into the game,
every single player is thinking, like you know, It's one
of the cool things about watching it is you just
never know who's going to be the hero in any
one time. There have been a lot of matches where
you've gotten a lot of run out there, and you've
been utilized as a server. You've been utilized as an
(23:23):
attacker in the front row, which you know is what
you know made your bread essentially in college.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
So what has been that transition to this team.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
And now being a part of you know, kind of
a dogfight to get into the playoffs and wanting to
not just win everything, but to you know, coalesce and
climax this team together with all the challenges that you
guys have had this year, with as much talent as
you feel like, you have a lot of injuries, a
lot of players missing time, where you guys now have
an opportunity to still make the playoffs and have a
(23:52):
run at this title. What are you looking for here
the last couple of games.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Man, I We're just on a hot streak right now
and I'm excited for the hopefully four games. Yeah, I
think it honestly at the beginning of the season kind
of in the middle there it was. I mean, it
was easy to get like down when we would lose
a couple of games in a row. But now we
look at it, we're I don't know what we're honestly sitting.
I think fourth, And I also don't know our record.
(24:18):
At one time we were in third place and we
were at five.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
We were Yeah, you're five hundred now and you're in fourth. Yeah,
there was a time I think you were like tied
for second and you were like a game or two
above five hundred, yeah, which kind of just tells you
how balanced the whole league really is. It makes it
fun for a spectator because you just never know what's
going to happen. There's no there's no slam dunk.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
It makes it fun for us too, I mean you
I think also, even though the league is incredibly balanced
this year, I think everyone honestly wants to beat us
the most, which is kind of a fun spot to
be in.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Everybody wish they were playing at Omaha.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah. Yeah, so we know we're gonna get everyone's best,
which is which is always fun. And I think, yeah,
just in these few games, I feel like we've really
kind of hit our stride and are getting that spark
of just giving our best to everyone else when they're
going to give us their best. We have a very
very competitive team and we see that in practice every day.
(25:13):
We're i mean chirping at each other and just very competitive.
So yeah, I'm just excited for what this team has
in us for the next couple of weeks, and it's
sad that it's coming down to it. Our team is
really really close. It's a super super special group and
we just keep saying every day that we're just trying
to soak in every last minute with these girls. Because yeah,
(25:35):
since like you said, teams are changing every year, there's
a lot of movement, so we know that we'll never
this exact team will never all be together again, which
is sad, but I think it's really helping us just
come together and fight for one another, and.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
It's gonna it makes a lot of fun for fans
because we love to see as many good players that
we can recognize as possible. But there's a lot of
young players like you and Meryrett Beeson that are just
you know, starting your professional career. Our fingers are crossed
that we can continue to have you guys playing for
the Supernovas for as long as we can together. And
who knows some of the stars that are going to
(26:08):
be joining this league into the future and who might
also end up on the Omaha Supernovas. Nor Tbrock, you're
gonna be able to see her Friday night chi Heuse
Center as the Supernovas host their last home game of
the season as they take on Columbus Nora. It was
so great to have you in the studio. It's great
to learn about your journey and I can't wait to
see what happens on Friday night.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Thank you very much. We're excited and.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Thank you for listening to the Emory Songer podcast on
this feed go into the Supernova's or you're just following along.
Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back in
this feed next week. We'll have plenty of more conversations.
You excited for stuff that's happening this summer in the
city of Omaha.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Until then, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
You've been listening to the Emorysunger podcast on the iHeartRadio
app
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