Madisen Skinner is an American volleyball player who plays primarily as an opposite hitter for LOVB Austin while also carrying experience as an outside hitter. Born in Katy, Texas, in 2001, the 188 cm attacker won three NCAA championships across Kentucky and Texas before becoming a back-to-back League One Volleyball champion and Championship MVP.
Skinner made her senior United States debut in the 2024 Volleyball Nations League and played a larger international role in 2025, including the VNL and FIVB Women’s World Championship. Her scoring profile has increasingly shifted toward the right side at professional and international level, where her height, arm speed, back-row attacking and ability to produce under high postseason volume have become central parts of her game.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Madisen Skinner |
| Known As | Madi Skinner |
| Date of Birth | July 1, 2001 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Born | Katy, Texas, United States |
| Hometown | Katy, Texas, United States |
| High School | Faith West Academy |
| Colleges | University of Kentucky; University of Texas |
| Position | Opposite Hitter / Outside Hitter |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Current Club | LOVB Austin |
| Club Number | 6 |
| National Team | United States Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 9 |
| @madisenskinner |
LOVB Austin currently lists Skinner as an opposite hitter, while USA Volleyball continues to identify her as an outside hitter and Volleyball World has also used opposite spiker in major international competition. The difference reflects genuine role flexibility rather than a biographical contradiction, with Skinner having played extensively on the left side in college before taking on greater right-side responsibility professionally and internationally.
Her current national-team profile lists No. 9, and the same number appeared on the United States’ 2026 VNL preliminary roster. Volleyball World lists her at 188 cm, while an established secondary player database identifies her as right-handed.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Skinner grew up in Katy, Texas, in a highly athletic family. She is the daughter of Brian and Rebecca Skinner and has five siblings: Avery, Jada, Brian, Phoenix and Malachi.
Her father, Brian Skinner, played 14 seasons in the NBA after a college basketball career at Baylor. Her older sister Avery developed into an elite volleyball player in her own right, competing collegiately for Kentucky and Baylor before reaching the U.S. senior national team.
Madisen attended Faith West Academy and played club volleyball for Houston Skyline. She was named to the 2019 AVCA Under Armour Third Team All-America squad and earned all-tournament recognition at the 2019 Girls Junior National Championship.
Those early years established Skinner as a high-level attacking prospect, but her later career would become distinctive for how quickly her scoring translated across different teams and systems. She entered college with the physical tools for a terminal pin role and soon proved capable of carrying significant attacking volume against elite opposition.
College Career
Kentucky and a National Championship as a Freshman
Skinner began her college career at Kentucky in the 2020 season and immediately became part of the best team in program history. As a freshman, she averaged 2.85 kills per set, hit .384 and helped the Wildcats win their first NCAA Division I women’s volleyball championship.
Her biggest performance came in the championship match against Texas. Skinner produced a season-high 19 kills, giving Kentucky a major scoring contribution as the Wildcats completed their title run.
The championship also had a family dimension because Avery Skinner was part of the same Kentucky team. Madisen therefore won her first NCAA title alongside her older sister before completing her first full college season.
Her offensive responsibility increased as a sophomore. Skinner led Kentucky with 3.78 kills per set and finished with 389 kills and 49 total blocks while earning All-SEC and AVCA Honorable Mention All-America recognition for a second consecutive year.
Transfer to Texas
After two seasons at Kentucky, Skinner transferred home to Texas for the 2022 season. Texas announced her arrival as a two-time All-American and national champion, adding another established scorer to a roster already built to compete for a championship.
Skinner’s first Longhorn season ended with another national title. She finished with 344 kills at 3.66 per set, hit .307 and added 48 blocks, then produced 12 kills on .407 hitting in the 2022 NCAA championship match as Texas defeated Louisville.
That victory gave Skinner her second NCAA championship in three collegiate seasons. It also made clear that she could fit into an offense where another outside hitter, Logan Eggleston, carried a major share of the primary scoring and serve-receive responsibility.
The 2023 Breakout
Skinner moved into a much larger offensive role after Eggleston’s graduation. Her 2023 season became the defining individual campaign of her college career and one of the strongest attacking seasons in recent Texas history.
She finished with 547 kills and averaged 4.80 kills per set, ranking among the national leaders in both categories. Skinner also contributed 46 aces, 223 digs and 72 blocks, showing that her role extended beyond high-volume front-row attacking.
Her postseason production increased further. Across six NCAA tournament matches, Skinner totaled 125 kills, including 26 in the regional semifinal against Tennessee and 18 kills with six aces in the national semifinal against Wisconsin.
Texas then swept previously unbeaten Nebraska in the championship match. Skinner led the final with 16 kills and was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player after adding two aces, five digs and a block.
The title was Texas’ second in succession and Skinner’s third NCAA championship overall. She completed the season as VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year, Big 12 Player of the Year, AVCA First Team All-American and winner of the Honda Sport Award for volleyball.
Final College Season
Skinner returned to Texas for a final season in 2024 as the Longhorns moved into the SEC. She led the team with 409 kills and 4.35 kills per set, added 167 digs and 53 blocks and recorded seven 20-kill matches.
Her postseason honors included AVCA Second Team All-America, VolleyballMag.com Second Team All-America and All-SEC First Team. Texas finished 20–7 and reached another NCAA regional, closing Skinner’s five-season college career.
Across Kentucky and Texas, she finished with 1,863 career kills, averaging 4.00 per set with a .297 hitting percentage. Her career totals also included 610 digs, 269 blocks and 88 service aces.
Her broader recognition extended beyond volleyball-specific awards. In 2024, Skinner became the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year after a 2023–24 season built around Texas’ championship and her major national individual honors.
Professional Club Career
Joining LOVB Austin
Skinner began her professional indoor career with LOVB Austin in League One Volleyball’s inaugural 2025 season. The move allowed her to remain in Texas while entering a new U.S. professional league alongside former college stars and established international players.
LOVB shifted Skinner more clearly toward the opposite position. That role reduced the amount of serve reception attached to her job and emphasized terminal attacking, back-row offense and blocking from the right side.
Her rookie regular season produced 201 kills and 227 points, placing her among the league leaders in both categories. The more important part of the season, however, came during Austin’s postseason run.
2025 Championship and Finals MVP
Austin entered the inaugural LOVB postseason as the No. 5 seed and had to survive difficult matches before reaching the final. Skinner became the team’s most productive postseason scorer during that run.
Across three Finals matches, she scored 73 points with 63 kills, six blocks and four aces while adding 22 digs. Austin completed its run by sweeping LOVB Omaha to become the first league champion.
Skinner was named the inaugural LOVB Finals MVP, making her the first player to receive that award. The title also meant she had won a championship in four of her first five seasons across Kentucky, Texas and LOVB Austin.
A Record-Setting 2026 Regular Season
Skinner returned to Austin in 2026 with a larger professional sample and an established role at opposite. She finished the regular season second in LOVB with 332 points and 297 kills, while Austin needed a strong late-season finish simply to qualify for the playoffs.
The defining regular-season match came against LOVB Nebraska with Austin’s postseason place at stake. Skinner set a league record with 34 points, producing 28 kills, four blocks and two aces in a five-set victory.
That performance completed a week in which she scored 49 points over two matches and earned LOVB Offensive Player of the Week. Skinner also finished the regular season with nine matches of at least 20 points and was selected to the 2026 LOVB Icons Second Team.
Back-to-Back Champion and Back-to-Back MVP
Austin again advanced through the postseason and faced LOVB Salt Lake in the 2026 Championship Series. After losing the opening match, Austin won the second match in five sets and then captured the deciding golden set 15–8.
Skinner scored 21 points in the second championship match while hitting .342 and adding nine digs. She then scored two more points in the golden set and earned LOVB Championship MVP for a second consecutive year.
The result gave Austin back-to-back league titles and made Skinner the MVP of both LOVB championship events held to that point. It also extended a career pattern in which some of her most productive performances have arrived during elimination or title-deciding matches.
Staying with Austin for 2026–27
LOVB Austin confirmed Skinner as one of eight returning champions for the 2026–27 season. The club will enter its third professional campaign attempting to become a three-time league champion.
Skinner remains listed as an opposite on Austin’s current roster. As of October 30, 2026, the new LOVB season has not yet begun, so her latest completed club campaign remains the championship-winning 2026 season.
National Team Career
Senior Debut in the 2024 VNL
Skinner made her senior United States debut in the 2024 Volleyball Nations League. Her first international match immediately became a major scoring performance rather than a limited introduction.
Against Thailand in Rio de Janeiro, Skinner scored 20 points in her senior-team debut as the United States won in four sets. Volleyball World listed her as an opposite, offering an early indication of the right-side role that would become increasingly important in her international career.
The appearance came only months after Skinner’s championship-winning 2023 college season. She was not selected for the Paris Olympic roster, but the VNL debut placed her firmly within the next group of U.S. attackers being evaluated beyond the Olympic cycle.
Breakthrough in the 2025 VNL
Skinner returned in 2025 and competed through all three preliminary weeks before joining the United States at the VNL Finals. The tournament gave her considerably more responsibility than her debut season.
Her signature performance came in Belgrade against Serbia. Skinner scored 32 points on 30 kills and two blocks while adding 12 digs in a five-set U.S. victory.
She was particularly effective late in the match, scoring six points in the deciding fifth set. The performance demonstrated why the right side suited her: she could receive a large volume of high balls, attack behind the setter and remain available as a back-row scoring option.
The United States eventually reached the VNL quarterfinals before losing to Italy. Skinner’s tournament nevertheless established her as a legitimate senior international scoring option rather than simply a recent college addition.
2025 World Championship
Skinner was selected for her first senior FIVB World Championship in Thailand later that summer. She joined Avery Skinner on the roster, giving the sisters another opportunity to represent the United States together after previously sharing the court at Kentucky.
The sisters combined for 28 points in the opening victory over Slovenia. Madisen contributed 13 points on 10 kills, two aces and one block, while Avery led the team with 15.
The U.S. won its pool and then defeated Canada in the Round of 16. Türkiye eliminated the Americans in the quarterfinals, leaving the United States in fifth place and completing Skinner’s first senior World Championship.
2026 National-Team Status
Skinner remained in the United States national-team picture in 2026. USA Volleyball included her on the 2026 VNL preliminary roster as No. 9, alongside a deep group of outside hitters and opposites competing for roles in the Los Angeles 2028 cycle.
USA Volleyball’s current women’s national-team page continues to include Skinner among the athletes who trained with the program during the 2026 season. Her most recent major tournament participation remains the 2025 World Championship, while her 2026 selection confirms that she remains part of the broader senior-team pool.
Playing Style & Strengths
Skinner is a high-volume pin attacker whose game has evolved from a traditional college outside-hitter role toward a more specialized opposite profile. Her best stretches usually come when an offense can give her repeated opportunities on the right pin, through the back row and in transition.
Her arm speed and high contact point allow her to score through imperfect situations rather than requiring every set to be perfectly located. She is particularly dangerous when attacking hard cross-court, but her growing ability to use the block and change direction has made her more difficult to defend when teams load their block toward her.
The back-row attack is another important weapon. Skinner can remain a scoring option through all six rotations, which allows setters to use her from behind the three-meter line instead of losing a primary attacker whenever she moves into the backcourt.
Her 32-point match against Serbia in 2025 illustrated that combination well. Thirty of those points came from kills, and she also contributed 12 digs, showing that a high attacking workload does not necessarily remove her from the defensive phase.
Skinner’s college experience as an outside hitter also gives her more reception history than many pure opposites. Her current professional role does not ask for the same passing volume, but those years on the left side remain useful when Austin or Team USA need tactical flexibility.
Serving has periodically been a major scoring tool as well. In Texas’ 2023 NCAA semifinal against Wisconsin, she recorded six aces, while her 2023 college season ended with 46 service aces overall.
Blocking has become increasingly important as she spends more time on the right side. Her four blocks during the 34-point match against Nebraska in 2026 showed how her scoring contribution can extend beyond attacking when she closes effectively against opposing outside hitters.
The most distinctive part of Skinner’s résumé is her postseason scoring. Three NCAA championships, two LOVB championships, a Final Four Most Outstanding Player award and two professional Championship MVP awards point to a repeated ability to handle high-volume attacking when seasons are being decided.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors & Milestones
| Year | Competition | Result / Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Volleyball Nations League | Senior national-team debut |
| 2025 | Volleyball Nations League | Quarterfinalist |
| 2025 | FIVB Women’s World Championship | Fifth place |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Named to preliminary U.S. roster |
Skinner’s senior international career began with a 20-point debut and expanded significantly during 2025. The 2025 World Championship remains her first major global championship with the senior United States team.
She continues to compete within a deep American pin-attacker group that includes players capable of playing both outside and opposite. That positional competition makes her ability to switch between the two roles particularly relevant during the Los Angeles 2028 cycle.
Selected College & Club Honors
| Year / Season | Team | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Kentucky | NCAA Division I Championship | Champion |
| 2020 | Kentucky | SEC Championship | Champion |
| 2021 | Kentucky | SEC Championship | Champion |
| 2022 | Texas | NCAA Division I Championship | Champion |
| 2022 | Texas | Big 12 Championship | Champion |
| 2023 | Texas | NCAA Division I Championship | Champion |
| 2023 | Texas | Big 12 Championship | Champion |
| 2025 | LOVB Austin | League One Volleyball Championship | Champion |
| 2026 | LOVB Austin | League One Volleyball Championship | Champion |
The NCAA titles make Skinner a three-time college national champion across two programs. Her first two professional seasons then produced two more championships, giving her five major team titles across six seasons from 2020 through 2026.
That record is notable because the championships came under different coaches, offensive systems and competitive formats. Skinner has been both a supporting scorer on loaded rosters and a primary postseason option carrying large attacking volume.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2020 | AVCA Honorable Mention All-American |
| 2021 | AVCA Honorable Mention All-American |
| 2022 | AVCA Third Team All-American |
| 2023 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2023 | NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player |
| 2023 | VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year |
| 2023 | Big 12 Player of the Year |
| 2023 | AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year |
| 2023 | Honda Sport Award for Volleyball |
| 2024 | Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year |
| 2024 | AVCA Second Team All-American |
| 2025 | LOVB Finals MVP |
| 2026 | LOVB Icons Second Team |
| 2026 | LOVB Offensive Player of the Week |
| 2026 | LOVB Championship MVP |
Her 2023 individual season remains the centerpiece of Skinner’s college résumé. The combination of national player recognition, Final Four MVP and a championship reflected both season-long production and postseason performance.
The professional awards have followed a similar pattern. Skinner became the first LOVB Finals MVP in 2025 and then repeated as Championship MVP in 2026, giving the league the same postseason award winner in each of its first two seasons.
Personal Life & Off the Court
Skinner comes from a family with extensive elite-sport experience. Her father Brian played 14 NBA seasons, while her sister Avery became an All-American volleyball player and later joined Madisen on the U.S. women’s national team.
Madisen and Avery won Kentucky’s 2020 NCAA championship together before their careers separated, with Avery later transferring to Baylor and Madisen moving to Texas. They reunited in a national-team setting and both appeared on the United States roster at the 2025 World Championship.
Skinner studied Health & Society at Texas and has spoken publicly about the psychological pressure attached to elite college athletics. In a 2026 conversation on Welcome to the Party, she discussed mental health, pressure, her relationship with Avery and the challenge of building an identity beyond winning volleyball matches.
She has developed a significant public profile beyond match results, including her own website and social channels. Her official Instagram account, @madisenskinner, documents her professional volleyball career, Team USA activity and life away from competition.
Where Is Madisen Skinner Playing Now?
Madisen Skinner plays for LOVB Austin and is confirmed on the club’s 2026–27 roster. Austin retained Skinner as one of eight returning champions after winning the league title in both 2025 and 2026.
She enters the coming season as the only player to have won the LOVB Championship MVP award twice. Her most recent completed regular season produced 332 points and 297 kills, followed by another title-winning postseason.
Skinner also remains associated with the United States women’s national team and was included on the 2026 VNL preliminary roster. USA Volleyball currently lists her as No. 9 and an outside hitter, while LOVB Austin uses her primarily as an opposite.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition / Period | Performance |
|---|---|
| 2025 LOVB regular season | 201 kills; 227 points |
| 2025 LOVB postseason | 73 points; 63 kills; 6 blocks; 4 aces; 22 digs |
| 2025 LOVB Championship | Champion; Finals MVP |
| 2025 VNL vs. Serbia | 32 points; 30 kills; 2 blocks; 12 digs |
| 2025 World Championship vs. Slovenia | 13 points; 10 kills; 2 aces; 1 block |
| 2026 LOVB regular season | 332 points; 297 kills |
| April 4, 2026 vs. LOVB Nebraska | League-record 34 points |
| 2026 LOVB Icons | Second Team |
| 2026 LOVB Championship | Champion; Championship MVP |
| 2026–27 | Returning to LOVB Austin |
Skinner’s 2026 club season combined regular-season volume with another postseason peak. She finished second in LOVB in both points and kills before becoming Championship MVP for a second consecutive year.
The 34-point performance against Nebraska was her highest-profile single regular-season match and established a new league scoring record. The subsequent title run confirmed that her late-season surge carried into postseason competition rather than ending with playoff qualification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Madisen Skinner?
Madisen Skinner was born on July 1, 2001, making her 25 years old in 2026. She is from Katy, Texas.
How tall is Madisen Skinner?
Skinner is listed at 188 cm, or 6 feet 2 inches, by Volleyball World and USA Volleyball. That height gives her a strong physical base for both outside-hitter and opposite responsibilities.
What position does Madisen Skinner play?
Skinner currently plays primarily as an opposite hitter for LOVB Austin, while USA Volleyball lists her as an outside hitter. She has substantial experience in both positions and played predominantly outside during her college career.
Which club does Madisen Skinner play for?
Skinner plays for LOVB Austin in League One Volleyball. She has been confirmed as a returning player for the 2026–27 season after helping Austin win the first two LOVB championships.
What number does Madisen Skinner wear?
Skinner wears No. 6 with LOVB Austin and is listed as No. 9 with the U.S. women’s national team. Her Texas college number was also No. 6.
How many NCAA championships did Madisen Skinner win?
Skinner won three NCAA Division I championships. She won with Kentucky in the 2020 season and then won consecutive titles with Texas in 2022 and 2023.
Is Avery Skinner Madisen Skinner’s sister?
Yes. Avery Skinner is Madisen’s older sister, and the two won Kentucky’s 2020 NCAA championship together before later becoming teammates again with the U.S. women’s national team.
How many LOVB championships has Madisen Skinner won?
Skinner has won two LOVB championships, in 2025 and 2026, both with LOVB Austin. She was named Championship MVP after each title run.
When did Madisen Skinner make her Team USA debut?
Skinner made her senior U.S. debut during the 2024 Volleyball Nations League. She scored 20 points against Thailand in her first international match.
What is Madisen Skinner’s Instagram?
Her verified public Instagram handle is @madisenskinner. The account covers her professional career, Team USA activity and personal content.
References
- USA Volleyball — Madisen Skinner official athlete profile
- USA Volleyball — 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League preliminary roster
- USA Volleyball — 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship roster and results
- USA Volleyball — Madi Skinner scores 32 points against Serbia in the 2025 VNL
- Volleyball World — Madi Skinner leads USA past Thailand in her senior debut
- LOVB — Madisen Skinner official LOVB Austin athlete profile
- LOVB — Madisen Skinner named 2025 LOVB Finals MVP
- LOVB — Skinner sets a 34-point league record and earns 2026 weekly honors
- LOVB — Austin captures back-to-back championships in 2026
- LOVB — League One Volleyball names the 2026 LOVB Icons
- LOVB Austin — 2026–27 roster announcement
- Texas Athletics — Madisen Skinner college biography and career statistics
- Texas Athletics — Texas wins the 2022 NCAA national championship
- Texas Athletics — Texas wins back-to-back NCAA championships in 2023
- Texas Athletics — Madisen Skinner named Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year
- Madisen Skinner — Official birthday feature and player website
