Omaha is one of the six cities selected to play in the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation which is expected to begin in February 2024 and the club — Nebraska Pro Volleyball — is currently building its roster.
NPV has announced twelve players who have agreed to play in the franchise’s first season. Here are the athletes along with what they’ve achieved in their volleyball careers to this point.
Gina Mancuso-Prososki
Country: USA
School: Nebraska
Mancuso-Prososki — a Bellevue native — is a Nebraska alumni from the class of 2013, and has been tabbed as NPV’s ‘franchise player’ meaning she will be involved in other team activities to help its promotion. The former Husker All-American outside hitter has played 10 years professionally and has won at the highest levels, including a bronze in the Champions League. Mancuso-Prososki has played in Azerbaijan and Germany, winning league titles in each and most recently played in Puerto Rico.
Bethania “Betty” de la Cruz
Country: Dominican Republic
de la Cruz is a star Olympian from the Dominican Republic who’s had a 19-year international volleyball career. She has won MVP awards in the top flight leagues of Japan, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and South Korea. de la Cruz has also earned numerous awards for both best outside hitter and opposite hitter. She was also the top scorer and server during the 2021 Athletics Unlimited (AU) league.
Hristina (Ruseva) Vuchkova
Country: Bulgaria
Vuchkova has long been known as one of the great middle blockers in the game, achieving the honor in multiple international leagues including this last season in China. Her 15-year career also includes earning best blocker at the 2021 European Championships and won MVP, best spiker and blocker awards at the Balkan Volleyball Association in 2019.
Natalia Valentin-Anderson
Country: Puerto Rico
School: Florida International
Valentin-Anderson — now an Omaha native — has played internationally for more than a decade, representing Puerto Rico in several world championships and captaining the national team at the 2016 Olympics. She was named “Best Setter” in 2021 at the NORCECA Volleyball Confederation tournament, was MVP of the Puerto Rican league in 2013 and has been named “Best Setter” of that league four times. Valentin-Anderson also has won championships in Azerbaijan in 2016 and with Saint Raphael Var Volleyball, who won the French Cup in 2019.
Nia Reed
Country: USA
School: Penn State
Nia Reed will compete for a chance to play on the US Pan-American team in July and last season was a member of the South Korean club Gwangju Al Peppers where she was an all-star selection. Before that, Reed led San Pablo’s Sesi Vôlei Bauru to a championship where she was top scorer and named Best Outside Hitter. Reed was also a key member of Penn State’s 2014 championship team as a freshman and earned All-American honors.
Sydney Hilley
Country: USA
School: Wisconsin
Hilley helped lead the Badgers to its first NCAA volleyball national championship in 2021 and finished her career as a three-time All-American and also won Big Ten Setter of the Year three times. Hilley has played in Turkey, Puerto Rico and Athletes Unlimited since graduating from UW. She is the all-time assist leader at Wisconsin.
Lindsey Vander Weide
Country: USA
School: Oregon
Vander Weide was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection wand a two-time third-team All-American during her career with the Ducks, followed by a several-year professional career where she’s played on teams in France, Hungary, Greece, and the Philippines where she earned “Best Import” honors and the MVP award after leading her Petro Gazz team to the title.
Kendall White
Country: USA
School: Penn State
White has been a member of the USA National Team for the past two seasons after finishing a distinguished career with Penn State that included three All-American selections and being the first Nittany Lion to win two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards. She also set the school record for career digs with 1,994 and has played two seasons of international volleyball in France.
Brooke Nuneviller
Country: USA
School: Oregon
Nuneviller is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, making her debut at the senior level in the 2023 Volleyball Nations League. She was a three-time All-American and first Pac-12 player to finish her career with more than 2,000 digs and 1,500 kills, playing as a libero and outside hitter with the Ducks. Nuneviller recently wrapped up her professional season with Nilufer Belediyespor in Turkey.
Danielle Hart
Country: USA
School: Wisconsin
Hart was also part of the Badgers’ 2021 NCAA championship team and finished her career at UW as a four-time Big Ten champion and was named third-team All-American in 2022. She was also a member of the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Team.
Tori Dixon
Country: USA
School: Minnesota
Dixon was a part of the 2014 World Championship Gold Team and also won gold at the 2018 and 2019 Volleyball Nations League. The Gopher alumna won the 2019 China Volleyball League MVP and numerous Best Blocker awards from multiple leagues and tournaments during her 10-year professional career.
Yossiana Pressley
Country: USA
School: Baylor
Pressley was a 2021 first-team All-American and a member of the 2021 USA Volleyball Women’s College National Team. The outside hitter was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection during her career with the Bears. Pressley has played with French club Alsace Mulhouse Volley professionally after graduating from BU.
The NPV team will be coached by American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Shelton Collier. The coach brings more than 40 years of collegiate volleyball experience and sits in seventh all-time in career NCAA victories.
Source: Omaha World-Herald
