by JOHN FEY
Not long after Baxter Arena opened, Dave Volenec became a familiar voice for the UNO hockey program, proudly singing the National Anthem at most home games. But in April 2024, when a devastating tornado struck their west Omaha neighborhood, it was the Mavericks who would lend a hand to Dave and his wife, Gina Prochaska-Volenec, during their time of need.
April 26 etched itself into the Volenecs’ memory, a day that began with a storm and ended with a community rallying together. The tornado left their home in ruins, so severely damaged that it had to be leveled and rebuilt.
Volenec, a lieutenant with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, hurried home that day as the storm was fast approaching, but he wasn’t able to make it to their basement in time. He suffered a leg injury as the twister tore through the neighborhood.
In the days following the tornado, as shock gave way to the reality of their loss, help poured in from family, friends, and Maverick hockey players.
Coach Mike Gabinet said the players wasted no time springing into action to aid the Volenecs when word of their misfortune hit social media.
“Tyler Rollwagen was quickly on it and reached out,” Gabinet said. “He asked me if it was OK if they helped out. I said, ‘Absolutely.’ One of our core values is to take initiative and offer before being asked.”
Rollwagen, a junior from Bloomington, Minn., quickly rounded up teammates who were still in Omaha at the time.
“We didn’t have to ask anyone to come out and help,” Rollwagen said. “They were more than willing to do it.”
When the players first arrived, they were shocked at the destruction.
“It was surreal,” Rollwagen said. “You had to think to yourself what if that had happened to your own family?”
Months later, Prochaska-Volenec looked back on the players’ part of the recovery effort with amazement.
“They worked with us for two days,” she said. “Besides the work that they did, numerous players and their families donated money to our Facebook GoFundMe page. We were blown away by that.”
Volenec echoed her sentiments, saying, “They were incredible. They pretty much just asked, ‘What can we do to help?’ One of us pointed them in whatever direction needed, and they went and did the work.”
Rollwagen viewed the experience as just the right thing to do.
“It was more of a comforting factor knowing that we were all there to support them,” he said. “We got quite a bit of work done.”
Gabinet, who was preparing his team for another season, couldn’t have been prouder of his players.
“I know we’re probably ultimately judged by wins and losses,” he said, “but for me personally, I also judge the success of our program based on individuals who have done a fantastic job of being ambassadors for our university and hockey program and conducting themselves with extremely high character.”
The Volenecs’ rebuilt home likely won’t be finished until late summer 2025, but they’ll always be appreciative of the Maverick hockey players.
“I love those guys, and I love being a part of Maverick hockey,” Dave said. “As a UNO alum, it’s like a dream come true.”
