Athlete of the Week: Milford’s Shayla Rautenberg
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The NSAA held state volleyball championships on Saturday, and in sweeping fashion, Milford claimed their second consecutive Class C1 state title over Aurora.
At the forefront of the Eagles’ offense all season long was Nebraska commit Shayla Rautenberg, who recorded 93 kills through three state tournament games.
“I think pressure honestly makes me play better,” Rautenberg said. “You get a good pass, you get a good serve, you get a good kill, and the crowd goes crazy. It just kind of feeds me.”
The junior recorded a career-high of over 580 kills throughout the 2026 season, while leading the team in kills per set, hitting percentage, total blocks and aces per set.
“I like to put the team on my back,” Rautenberg said. “I think I’ve said that before, but if they can rely on me and I can take the pressure off of some people, I’d love to do it.”
In early September, Rautenberg spent time away from the Eagles, traveling to Nicaragua to help Team USA win gold in the U23 Pan American Volleyball Cup. After returning to Milford, she helped the Eagles cap off the year on a 25-game win streak.
