‘It’s a bird, it’s a plane…’ Is it a bat? At this point, you may be confused, as that famous catchphrase is supposed to end with “It’s Superman.” However, the 13,486 volleyball fans inside CHI Health Center were equally confused when a surprise visitor entered the venue without a ticket. What’s more? The visitor even put a halt to the thrilling contest between the Omaha Supernovas and Atlanta Vibe.

It turns out that the visitor who inspired the stadium’s audio team to play Neal Hefti’s 1966 Batman theme was none other than an actual bat. Of all the things that the record-breaking crowd expected to see as the PVF returned to Omaha, a bat probably wasn’t even on the list. However, that didn’t stop the flying mammal from causing a disruption.

Not the ideal guest for a volleyball game

While few things would’ve halted the heated contest between the Supernovas and the Vibe, the bat had no problem doing so. While no one knew how it got in, the creature dove toward the players, and the stats instantly became the center of attraction. Reporter Abby Barmore was among the first to report the incident. “Play has stopped as a BAT is flying around the CHI Health Center…” she wrote on X.

However, the Atlanta Vibe’s TikTok handle posted footage of the bat from the sidelines. “Surprise visitor for our first match of the season,” the page wrote in their caption. The clip showed just how close to the court the bat came, with nearly every player looking up. Later, the PFV broadcast partner Nebraska Public Media posted a snippet from the live broadcast.

“A bat in CHI Health Center watching Supernova volleyball was not on my 2025 bingo card,” the Nebraska Public Media wrote while posting the footage. The snippet showed that while the bat flying around inside the stadium was a disruption, it was at least amusing. “It’s probably not ideal for that to be flying over the course,” said one of the commentators while her partner laughed.

“We have some entertainment in addition to the volleyball match tonight,” added the commentators, as they grew curious as to how the organizers aimed to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, they continued to crack jokes, saying, “Maybe the net could be used for dual purposes tonight.” Even the fans watching the game liked how the broadcasters handled the situation.

The PVF’s new broadcasting partner in Nebraska impressed fans

Fans watching from home didn’t get to see how the PFV loved their bat problem, because the live broadcast went offline during the process. “Hopefully we have a resolution when we come back,” said the presenter before the stream went offline. However, how the commentators handled the incident before transitioning to a seamless cutoff impressed the audience.

Fans liked how Nebraska Public Media presented a consistent and flawless broadcast to those who couldn’t attend the game. One fan even took to social media to praise them. “Well done Novas! Great coverage by Larry and Lindsay! Great camera work. Fun watch. You all killed the broadcast,” wrote a fan and NPM even reposted the testimony.

This came in stark contrast to the repeated broadcast woes that the PFV’s rival pro league LOVB has been facing. While fans praised NPM for their camera work, they did the opposite for the LOVB. Additionally, despite partnering with ESPN+ the unusual broadcast delay for the second consecutive day frustrated fans further.

While League One Volleyball has promised to make improvements, it’s safe to say that the PVF has nailed the broadcasting recipe. So much so that even a bizarre incident like a bat-disrupting play couldn’t make a dent in their coverage.