OMAHA, Neb. -- On Tuesday, Nebraska Pro Volleyball announced they have added two world-class, highly decorated international players to the Omaha-based team. 

The Omaha team, in cooperation with the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF), has signed superstar Olympian Bethania “Betty” de la Cruz from the Dominican Republic, and volleyball icon middle blocker Hristina (Ruseva) Vuchkova from Bulgaria.

The superstar duo has an impressive combined 34 professional seasons as award-winning players in several of the world’s top leagues. 

Shelton Collier, head coach, said, “Our roster plan from the start was to sign a talented core group of players from here in the USA, then secure two experienced high-level international players to complete this initial wave of recruiting. We are proud to say that we have now accomplished this goal. With Betty and Hristina, we have two players who have proven they can win and be individual stars in some of the best professional leagues in the world, so certainly we will look forward to them bringing their talents and experience to our Omaha squad in January.” 

On signing to the Omaha team, de la Cruz said, “I am very excited to be playing for Omaha in the new Pro Volleyball Federation. I have heard so many good things about the coach, the team, and the amazing support in Omaha, and I look forward to coming to play there in January. I am confident that we will have a very strong team in our first season together. I know several Omaha players from playing with them previously in the Athletes Unlimited league, so that makes me comfortable joining this team, as well.” 

With 19 seasons of successful international experience, de la Cruz has won multiple awards as both an outside hitter and an opposite hitter.

Throughout her career, she has been voted as league MVP in the top international leagues in Japan, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and South Korea.

She was also MVP of the Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2021 and was selected best outside hitter in the NORCECA Championships in 2021.

As a star player in the Athletes Unlimited (AU) league, de la Cruz has numerous successes, including being the top scorer and top server in 2021.

In the 2022 Pan Am Games, she received awards for best spiker, best outside hitter, and best server.  

“It is really rewarding for all of us that Betty has officially chosen to play for Omaha," Collier said. "It is tremendous to have a player of her award-winning caliber join our team in PVF’s first season. We appreciate that she has a goal of helping her Dominican team qualify for the Olympic Games in 2024, and we are so pleased she will be proudly playing for Omaha during our inaugural campaign.” 

On signing to play for the Omaha team, Vuchkova said, “I’ve played professional volleyball for many years in several countries, and it was a dream of mine to have a chance to someday play in America, so this opportunity with the PVF, playing for Nebraska Pro Volleyball, is very exciting for me and my family. We are looking forward to coming to Omaha and I am eager to help our team win a championship in our first year together.” 

Having begun her volleyball career under her maiden name, Hristina Ruseva, Vuchkova married in 2019.

She has competed for 15 seasons in a wide range of top international professional leagues around the world.

She is regarded as one of the best blockers in the world, and has won numerous awards for her performance, including this most recent season, being voted best blocker in China’s professional league, Chinese Volleyball Super League.

She was named the best blocker in the 2021 European Championships and in Turkey’s top league, Sultanlar Ligi (Sultans League), in 2020.

She was also selected as best spiker, best blocker, and MVP at the Balkan Volleyball Association (BVA) Cup in 2019. 

Collier said of Vuchkova, “It is awesome for our Omaha team that we were able to attract a middle blocker with this level of award-winning experience. I’ve watched many hours of video of her playing at the highest levels of competition, and she is truly remarkable with her instincts and ability to block and hit at a high level. She will be an amazing addition to our roster with her elite skills and high level of experience.” 

With the signing of de la Cruz and Vuchkova, the Omaha roster now stands at 12 players.

Nebraska Pro Volleyball’s Omaha team roster, to date, is Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White. 

Collier was announced as Omaha’s head coach in late May.

In just a few weeks, Nebraska Pro Volleyball has assembled an award winning and talented twelve-player roster that, in addition to Vuchkova and de la Cruz, includes nine collegiate All-America players, many who have had USA National Team experience, and all 12 with professional experiences playing in high level international leagues. 

The PVF is expected to launch its first season in early 2024.

Six of the team markets have been announced: Omaha, Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando, Grand Rapids and Columbus, and are currently building their teams.