Anyone could have told you that the Cornhuskers would have been keen on landing the Milford superstar. What more could you ask for? Rautenberg is a homegrown star, a legacy recruit, and our third-ranked 2028 across the entire national scene. But aside from all these accolades and storylines, Rautenberg’s work ethic and desire to win have set her apart. She has been part of the Open grind with Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy, culminating in a bid breakthrough at the Northeast Qualifier. In the middle of it all, Rautenberg has also maintained her multi-sport status at Milford to help the Eagles win a basketball title, too. A highlight tape cannot encapsulate her competitive spirit, and it’s the kind of attitude needed to represent the Scarlet and Cream.

We had to include our No. 1, right? Rautenberg’s list of accolades and honors spans well beyond her work with Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy. This jaw-dropping middle blocker is a state champion with Milford and a fixture in the USA youth training gym. Nebraska ONE ‘s big NEQ breakthrough wouldn’t have been possible without Rautenberg, who proved her willingness to terminate from anywhere along the net. She will be one of the top athletes to watch in GJNC’s 17 Open race, making it easy to forget Rautenberg is repping the 2028s.

Shayla Rautenberg was named MVP at the Kansas City camp and has the opportunity to earn a ticket to the All-America Game in Orlando.

This conversation wouldn’t be complete without our top-ranked athlete in the class. Once again, we have a middle blocker who dominates at the net against older peers. Rautenberg’s career resume speaks for itself, particularly after she led Milford to last year’s Class C1 title. She is enjoying a busy start to the year, from smashing records on the basketball court to leading Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy’s offensive onslaught. Rautenberg often takes first-ball swings on the outside to give Nebraska ONE critical sideouts. When you have a talent like this at the net, you want her to swing as much as possible.

Shayla Rautenberg has gone semi viral for the video of her dunking a basketball looking relatively easy.  I was able to see Rautenberg play this past weekend at Northern Lights on Saturday where I saw she scored 38 points and broke the school record for rebounds in a basketball game on Friday night – all in a day’s work.  Rautenberg played for the U19 national team this summer that brought home gold from the Pan Am games. She plays for the Nebraska One 17 Synergy squad that has current commits in setter Malorie Boesiger (Nebraska) and Reagan Wallraff (Creighton).  Rautenberg could be a quick commit come June 15 being a “Homegrown Husker”.  Any chance we see a dual sport athlete in the future?  Either way, she is so fun to watch on the volleyball court. 

In a single match, Shayla delivered an outstanding performance, recording 19 kills on 34 attempts with an impressive .529 hitting percentage. She also contributed 2 aces while maintaining a perfect 100% serving percentage and added a block to round out her all-around impact on the game.

It’s well known that Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy bolstered its middle blocker position through the Class of 2028. Rautenberg captured everyone’s attention after multiple dominant performances with Milford at last fall’s state tournament. That postseason excellence carried over to the basketball court, too. No matter the venue, Rautenberg has exhibited her elite athleticism and willingness to compete with many of her older peers. She can go over the top of well-formed blocks and is one of Nebraska’s most natural net defenders. Our 2028 rankings are on the horizon, and Rautenberg will be part of it.

Of course, we have to feature another 2028 star of Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy’s frontcourt. Rautenberg has maintained the dominant form we’ve seen since she competed with Milford High School at last year’s state tournament. She can terminate over the top of opposing blockers while also varying her shot selection to find the open floor. Nebraska ONE allows Rautenberg to swing on the pin in first-ball side-out situations, and she can deliver there, too. 16 Synergy has not been afraid to pull its game-changing athletes from the 2028 class.