Courtesy of Red Bull
Last week, I had the opportunity to interview Madisen Skinner. The 2023 Honda Sports Award winner and three-time NCAA champion shared her experience playing volleyball collegiately and her plans for the future.
Skinner started playing volleyball much later than athletes playing in NCAA Division I and professionally typically do. She was involved in many different sports, like dance, gymnastics, swimming, and basketball, growing up. Inspired by her older sister, Avery, Skinner picked up volleyball at 14, and was a natural.
When her sister went through the recruitment process for volleyball and visited colleges, Skinner got to be alongside her, and knew she wanted to do the same. At 15, Skinner began the recruitment process herself. She started playing at the University of Kentucky where she won her first NCAA championship in 2020, playing alongside her sister, before transferring to the University of Texas where she and her team won the NCAA championship in 2022 and 2023. Skinner said, “It’s been kind of a whirlwind of a journey, but I ended up where I’m supposed to be.”
One of her most memorable moments in her NCAA career, on top of winning national championships, was making the transition to Texas. She said, “Meeting all the girls and getting to know the staff, and honestly having a fresh start and finding my love for the game again was a huge part of that.” Important parts of her collegiate career include those championship titles, but also building new connections and having a new opportunity to explore and enjoy volleyball.
Skinner said on the topic of winning national championship titles that, “It’s really not about the moment of winning a national championship. It’s more about what you had to get through to get to that point. Every single year we’ve had the privilege of winning, it’s really just gone back to the journey and reflecting on all the things that we were able to battle through, and the friendships and connections you make over the months. You’re tested in every single aspect and so I think to have those people to rely on from those relationships is super special as well.”
Skinner has had success as an individual as well. In 2023, she won the Honda Sports Award, which recognizes the best woman athlete in each of twelve collegiate sports. On winning the Honda Award, Skinner said, “[It was] surreal. I mean, it’s an iconic award and there’s been so many crazy talented people who have won the award in past years. I honestly was so caught off guard, like I never would have thought that I would have been picked. There’s so many talented players across the country that are deserving of that award, but to be nominated and then win it for volleyball was so exciting. Definitely a surreal experience and very, very special.”
Skinner said that being involved with a sport that is so team oriented helps her to balance her individual and team achievements. She emphasized that every athlete on the court and on the bench is crucial in pushing athletes to be the best they can be and in winning. This also played a big factor in her involvement with the sport.
“I wouldn’t be able to have the success I’ve had, do what I do, and be the athlete I am without my teammates and without having great setters, great passers, and great defenders,” Skinner said. She expressed how much success comes from being pushed by the athletes around you, and how the culture and embracing different roles is just as important as the physical aspect of the sport.
She encourages college athletes to search for balance, invest in academics, take advantage of resources their college offers, build and maintain relationships, and make the most of the time they have in their four years.
Skinner and many other collegiate athletes have been given the chance to explore new avenues with the support of NIL deals. NIL deals have given financial support and opened up many more opportunities for college athletes. Skinner said that NIL deals have been a blessing and she loves being able to connect with her followers and supporters, work and collaborate with brands that she’s admired, and have new opportunities in modeling, video shoots, and commercials.
Courtesy of Red Bull
Skinner recently signed with Red Bull, and has had an incredible experience so far. She looks forward to having more time to do more work with Red Bull once she finishes college and the chance to get creative with the content and collaborations she has with them.
As far as the future goes, Skinner plans to go professional, make the national team, and one day go to the Olympics. “I want to play at a high level. I want to keep challenging myself and bettering myself as an athlete and as a human. I think right now I’ve just got to figure out where I want to go, which I’m very close to making that decision, which is super exciting,” Skinner said. “I have a lot of aspirations, but overall I just want to keep enjoying the sport. It brings me so much joy and I genuinely love playing it. I want to try to make as many memories as I can, and also just be the best version of myself.”
Skinner’s advice to volleyball players who are looking to play collegiately and professionally is to “give 110% when you’re in the gym and work your tail off, and continue to build relationships with your teammates and coaches and invest in the people around you. As long as you’re going in everyday, ready to work and have a good attitude, and you’re positive and inspiring the people around you, you’ll be very successful.”
Volleyball has helped shape Skinner into the person she is today both on and off the court. It’s helped her step outside of her comfort zone, figure out who she wants to be as a person, and learn to find balance, take care of herself, and form and maintain relationships.
While Skinner’s career in volleyball is far from over, when it comes to her legacy in the sport, she said, “I want to be remembered by the way that I uplift people, encourage them, and challenge them. The awards and everything are great, but I just want to be remembered as a great teammate, and a great human, and someone that cared about the people around them.”
Edited by Giana Robertaccio