The contact window for 2028 prospects opened at midnight on June 15, and the Nebraska volleyball staff wasted no time making a big splash as Milford junior-to-be Shayla Rautenberg announced her commitment to the Huskers.
Rautenberg, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, is a consensus top-five prospect nationally in the 2028 class. The NebPreps Class C1 Player of the Year averaged 5.6 kills per set on .366 hitting, 2.0 digs and 1.1 blocks per set while serving 47 aces and playing six rotations as a sophomore, leading the Eagles to their first state title in 2025 and a 33-1 overall record. Rautenberg elevated her game down the stretch of the season, totaling a career-high 39 kills in a five-set win over Kearney Catholic in the district finals and notching 30 kills in a four-set win over Holdrege in the Class C1 state championship.
Shayla Rautenberg (11) during a high school semifinal volleyball game. Photo by Braden Cochran.
As a freshman in 2024, she averaged 4.1 kills on .305 hitting and 1.1 blocks while leading Milford to a 24-10 record and a state tournament appearance. The Eagles fell in five set in the first round, but Rautenberg totaled 28 kills on .362 hitting.
Rautenberg is a multi-sport star for Milford, leading the Eagles to a state title in basketball as well this past season while averaging 18.2 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks. Additionally, Rautenberg is a standout in track and field.
She is the daughter of former Nebraska All-American Lisa Reitsma, one of the most prolific outside hitters in program history who helped the Huskers win their first national championship in 1995 and entered the Nebraska Athletic hall of Fame in 2025.
She plays club volleyball with Nebraska ONE and is teammates with 2027 Nebraska commit Malorie Boesiger. Additionally, Rautenberg has competed for the U19 USA National Team, helping capture gold in the Pan American Cup in Canada in June of 2025. She also made the 20-player cut for the U19 national team for the upcoming NORCECA Continental Championship in July alongside fellow in-state 2028 prospect Averi Bridges, a libero from Ashland-Greenwood who committed to Penn State on Monday. USA Volleyball will select 14 players from the 20-player pool to travel to Costa Rica for the tournament.
Rautenberg is the first public commit of the class for the Huskers, with both head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and recruiting coordinator Jaylen Reyes teasing the news on social media earlier in the day.
