Staying Home: Rautenberg Commits to Her Home State Huskers

The 2028 middle blocker is the daughter of former NU All-American Lisa Reitsma.

Shayla Rautenberg stands outside the Devaney Center in her commitment announcement. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker led Milford High School to state championships in volleyball and basketball in the past year. | Shayla Rautenberg Instagram

Going into June 15, Shayla Rautenberg was going to explore her options. 

It might have been a foregone conclusion to some on the outside that the daughter of former Nebraska All-American Lisa (Reitsma) Rautenberg, who grew up down the road from the national power, would end up in Lincoln. Still, Shayla wasn’t taking any chances. 

After completing her call with NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly, Rautenberg’s future finally became clear, and she knew her college destination. She called the Huskers back and committed to becoming the first member of the 2028 recruiting class

Shayla Rautenberg is staying home with her commitment to Nebraska. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker is the No. 3 overall prospect according to PrepDig and No. 4 in PrepVolleyball's rankings.

She helped Milford win state titles in volleyball and basketball this year. pic.twitter.com/6NpxHCapnn

— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) June 15, 2026

Rautenberg posted her announcement on social media early Monday afternoon and dealt with a deluge of congratulatory texts, direct messages and phone calls. The 6-foot-3 middle blocker is the No. 3 overall 2028 prospect according to PrepDig and ranked No. 4 in PrepVolleyball. She is the top-ranked recruit in Volleyball Adrenaline’s rankings. 

“It was really surreal, like a full circle moment; obviously with my mom going there,” Rautenberg said on Tuesday. “After the phone call, I finally said it — ‘This is where I want to go.’ It was amazing. I don’t know how to explain it.”

What sold Rautenberg on the Huskers was their vision and plan for her in the program. While her strengths are as a middle blocker, Nebraska could be utilized at the pin as well. Rautenberg said she is open to whatever she can do to help the program. 

After getting off the phone with the Huskers came the hard part. Rautenberg called back Creighton, Texas and Louisville to tell them she wouldn’t be joining their program. The calls were difficult, but the right thing to do, she said. She had attended summer camps in Texas and Louisville over the past few weeks to learn more about the programs. 

After the phone calls were over, Rautenberg made the 20-minute drive from her home to the Devaney Center for a commitment photo session. She invited her Nebraska ONE club teammate and 2027 Nebraska commit Malorie Boesiger to join her. 

Even though she’s been around Husker fans, she was still taken aback by the viral response that her social media post received online. As of Tuesday evening, the post had more than 42,000 likes and more than 1,000 shares and reposts. 

When her college career begins, Rautenberg will get to play for the same program where her mother made a name for herself. Lisa Reitsma was a three-time All-American for the Huskers and a member of the 1995 National Championship team. As a sophomore in 1996, she set the current program record for kills in a season (611) and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. 

However, Rautenberg didn’t know much about her mother’s exploits growing up because her mother never talked about them, so she had to hear about them from her mother’s friends and former teammates. 

“Her friends will come over and be like, ‘Do you know how good your mom was?’” Rautenberg said. “She doesn’t really tell me about it. I guess I’ve heard she has a lot of records, and she was used a lot her sophomore year, more than anything, but that’s really about all I know.”

Rautenberg had her eyes opened last year when her mother was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. She is just one of 13 volleyball players to be honored by the Athletic Department. 

Rautenberg is an elite athlete in her own right. She helped Milford win state titles in volleyball and basketball this year. She also qualified for the Class B state track meet in the 1600-meter relay. 

Rautenberg averaged 5.6 kills while hitting .366 with 108 total blocks on the volleyball court. In basketball, she put up 18.2 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. PrepGirlsHoops has her as the sixth-ranked basketball recruit in Nebraska.

She said she doesn’t yet know whether she will enroll early at Nebraska. In addition, she’s lightly entertained the idea of playing basketball in college (her mother played one season for the Huskers in her fifth year at Nebraska), but for now is focused on developing as a volleyball player.

Her love for volleyball took off during her seventh-grade year, and she made a big jump between eighth grade and her freshman season, putting her on the national radar. She was a member of the U19 national team that won a gold medal at the 2025 NORCECA Pan American Cup. She will try to make the junior national team again this year for the NORCECA Continental Championship in July in Costa Rica.

One thing she wants to improve before she gets to Nebraska is her vertical jump, which may sound like an odd goal for a player who can already dunk a basketball. 

“I am tall, and that’s definitely an advantage, but I want to be able to jump,” she said. “Andi Jackson is insane. She’s 6-4, and she can jump, too. I just want to match that.”