Two more prospects have joined in-state standout Shayla Rautenberg in Nebraska volleyball’s 2028 recruiting class as Dani Busboom Kelly and her staff continue to reload for the future with top-10 talents.
On Wednesday, San Juan Hills (Calif.) opposite hitter Megan Hodges made her commitment public after associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Jaylen Reyes first teased the good news at 3:36 a.m. CT on Tuesday. The 6-foot-5 opposite hitter is ranked third nationally by PrepVolleyball and No. 6 by PrepDig after totaling 381 kills, 73 blocks and 38 aces as a sophomore. The Ladera Ranch, Calif. native has the versatility to also play middle blocker.
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Hodges played alongside Rautenberg on the U19 USA Volleyball team that captured gold at the 2025 Pan American Cup, and she is also among the 20 players chosen for the pool that will form the roster for the roster upcoming NORCECA U19 Continental Championship in July. She plays her club volleyball with Tstreet Volleyball Club out of Irvine, Calif.
Hodges is the third member of the class. The second is 2028 Harrisburg (S.D.) setter Josalyn Samuels, who made her announcement Monday night. Samuels is a 6-foot-2 setter ranked fourth in the class by PrepDig and sixth by PrepVolleyball.
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Samuels has averaged over 10 assists per set three straight seasons, beginning her high school career as an eight-grader. She plays her club ball for Kairos Volleyball, the same club that produced current Nebraska setter Bergen Reilly, another South Dakota native who started for her varsity team as an eighth grader.
Samuels was an alternate on the U19 USA Volleyball team during the Pan American Cup, alongside 2027 Nebraska commits Hua Laikona and Shaye Witherspoon. She was also the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year after averaging 10.4 assists and notching 93 kills on .412 hitting. MaxPreps also named Samuels its National Freshman of the Year in 2024.
Hodges and Rautenberg joined Samuels on the 2025 MaxPreps Sophomore All-America Team. All three are consensus top-six prospects in the class.
