"Greatest announcement of my life"- Andi Jackson and others react as Leyla Blackwell joins John Cook’s co-owned Omaha Supernovas

Leyla Blackwell (C) has signed for the Omaha Supernovas - Source: Getty
Leyla Blackwell (C) has signed for the Omaha Supernovas - Source: Getty

Athletes on social media shared their reaction as former Nebraska Volleyball star Leyla Blackwell signed with the Omaha Supernovas for the 2026 Major League Volleyball season. Blackwell plays as a middle blocker and represented the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team for her senior year in 2024. This will mark her second professional season, as well as a reunion with her former Nebraska coach John Cook, who is now the Supernovas' co-owner and General Manager.

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Leyla Blackwell earned multiple honors at a collegiate level before starting her professional career. Blackwell was a freshman at Indiana University before going on to represent the University of San Diego, where she was named to the Three-time All-West Coast Conference First Team three years in a row. She played in 13 matches for Nebraska in her final collegiate year, recording 2.35 kills per set on .417 hitting with 1.26 blocks per set.

In a post shared on Instagram, the Omaha Supernovas announced that Blackwell would be signing for the 2026 season. They captioned the post with:

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"📍Back in the 402. Welcome home, Leyla! 🌽"
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Many athletes shared their reaction to the announcement, such as current Nebraska star Andi Jackson, who commented:

"This is the greatest announcement of my life"

Former Nebraska player Ally Batenhorst wrote:

"YAY LEYLA 🥹🥰🥰🥰"

Indy Ignite setter Sydney Hilley also reacted:

"🔥🔥🔥"

San Diego Mojo star Kendra Dahlke wrote:

"My Sleylaaa 🥹❤️ so so happy for you"
Still taken from the official Supernovas Instagram account (source: @omahasupernovas/Instagram)
Still taken from the official Supernovas Instagram account (source: @omahasupernovas/Instagram)

Leyla Blackwell played in 10 matches for the San Diego Mojo during the 2025 season, starting eight of those games.

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Leyla Blackwell penned a heartfelt message online after graduating from the University of Nebraska

2022 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship - Source: Getty
2022 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship - Source: Getty

Leyla Blackwell took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message after she completed her senior season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Blackwell ended her collegiate career on a high note, playing multiple matches and also earning the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award the same year.

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In a post on Instagram, she wrote:

"I am so blessed to have been surrounded by the best humans for the last couple months, and thank you to my teammates and our staff for making Lincoln a second home. I have so much love and gratitude for this program and husker nation for welcoming me with open arms. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime❤️Go Big Red forever."
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Still taken from Blackwell's Instagram (Source: @leyla.blackwell/Instagram)
Still taken from Blackwell's Instagram (Source: @leyla.blackwell/Instagram)

Leyla Blackwell will play her first game for the Omaha Supernovas in January, when the season starts. It will mark the Supernovas' first season in MLV.

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Edited by Rupesh
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