On July 21, the Omaha Supernovas dropped a post no one expected. “Thank you, Ally. Wishing you the best on the sand!” The 2024 PVF Supernovas wrote in their farewell post to the outside hitter. After all, in her very first season and not even playing every game in the season, Batenhorst left her mark. From clutch performances to multiple Player of the Match awards, the sky was the limit for the 23-year-old.

Meanwhile, the former Nebraska Husker has already announced her next step. You see, those stellar performances on the pro volleyball court had also impressed Olympian Sara Hughes. A beach volleyball veteran looking for a partner to chase her Olympic dreams after finishing 5th in Paris, made Batenhorst the offer she couldn’t refuse. Yet, does that mean Batenhorst is over pro volleyball?

Well, the former USC Spartan’s Instagram story reveals how she feels about her time with the Omaha Supernovas. Earlier, the Pro Volleyball Federation shared some snapshots of the Supernovas seen “through a disposable lens” on Instagram. However, it seems the grainy, stylized, and old-school vibe of the disposable lens photographs triggered nostalgia in Ally Batenhorst.

The former Supernova almost immediately shared the post after it went live. “Missing my girls,” the now-former pro volleyball player captioned her Instagram story, where she shared the post. Yet it’s not like the former NCAA National Championship finalist regrets switching from the indoor court to the sand. Sara Hughes’ encouragement and her previous experience on the sand made the switch an exciting one.

“I would say it’s like a completely different sport,” Batenhorst said in an interview with NBC. “You have to learn little things like wind, and you’re outside, and it’s only two of you, so little things like that are an adjustment for sure. But at the end of the day, it’s volleyball,” she added. After all, the goal behind embarking on this path is Olympic gold, and so she is preparing.

Ally Batenhorst makes another big move

“When I first saw her, I was like, ‘Wow.’ She has such athleticism. She looks like a true leader on the court,” Sara Hughes explained why she picked Batenhorst of all people. It was the commanding persona on the court, combined with the skill, that convinced Hughes. And now that the Batenhorst is ready to take on beach volleyball full-time, she’s taken the next step.

On July 31, Progressive Sports Management announced it will manage Ally Batenhorst’s sports career. “Welcome to the PSM Team @allybatenhorst!!! Let’s GO, Ally!!” they posted on social media. However, it wasn’t just PSM’s 25-year experience managing athletes that drew Batenhorst. PSM manages several other Olympians, including Sara Hughes.

“So PUMPED!!!!” the 23-year-old commented on the post. Soon, athletes and people associated with PSM flooded the comments section to congratulate the volleyball star. Among them was none other than her partner, Hughes. “Wohooo!!!! Congrats @allybatenhorst! PSM is the best,” the reigning beach volleyball world champion wrote in the comments.

Yet, the pair has been doing a lot more than just rooting for one another. While they’re yet to play a game, just practicing together has convinced the duo that teaming up was the right call. “After practicing together. I could just feel how much she believed in me. It’s actually weird how similar we are,” Ally Batenhorst told NBC 7 San Diego. So while she misses her Supernova teammates, the outside hitter is looking ahead.