Vibe Show Fight but Fall to Supernovas 3-1 in Front of Home Crowd

Atlanta Vibe couldn’t quite find the consistency it needed Thursday night, falling 3-1 to the Omaha Supernovas at Georgia State Convocation Center in front of an announced crowd of 2,700 in downtown Atlanta.

“I thought we came out hot and did some really nice things in the third set, but it’s kind of the same story for this team as we just got to continue to find consistency,” Head Coach Kayla Banwarth said. “We keep seeing glimpses and then we’re letting our opponents dictate the match and set the tone of the match.”

Atlanta and Omaha opened with a tightly contested first set that needed extra points to decide it. The Supernovas edged ahead with a 26-24 win to take an early 1-0 lead.

Omaha carried that momentum into the second set, pulling away for a 25-15 victory to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Vibe responded in the third.

Behind a strong showing from middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye, Atlanta flipped the script with a convincing 25-15 set win to cut the deficit to 2-1. Awoleye made her presence felt with four kills and two blocks in the set, helping ignite the home crowd.

But Omaha closed the door in the fourth, securing the match with a 25-19 win to take it 3-1.

Offensively, Atlanta was led by outside hitter Leah Edmond and opposite hitter Aiko Jones, who each finished with 15 kills. Edmond added a team-high 16 digs to record a double-double, while Jones contributed four blocks at the net.

Jones didn’t shy away from the emotion that showed late in the match, pointing to the team’s urgency as the playoff race tightens.

“I think it was passion and frustration,” Jones said. “That’s just coming from I love this sport and I love these girls. Every time you go out there you want to play your best, and I think we’ve yet to do that consistently.”

Setter Averi Carlson also turned in a strong performance, posting a double-double with 40 assists and 15 digs — her 10th match this season reaching the 40-assist mark.

Awoleye, a Georgia native, finished with seven kills and five blocks and soaked in the moment of playing in front of a hometown crowd.

“I had friends in the crowd, like I saw old coaches and my parents were here,” Awoleye said. “Just the energy the entire night, whether we were up or down, was incredible and we’re so grateful.”

Atlanta won’t have much time to reset. The Vibe returns to Georgia State Convocation Center today for the second half of the weekend doubleheader, hosting the Orlando Valkyries at 6 p.m. ET.