Madisen Skinner will win another volleyball National Championship if the Longhorns beat Nebraska in the final of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. Skinner won her first championship with Kentucky as a true freshman. The Big 12 Player of the Year has enjoyed a spectacular season and hopes she can lead the Longhorns to national glory.
Madisen Skinner was born to Rebecca and Brian Skinner in Katy, Texas
Madisen Skinner was born into an athletic family in Katy, Texas. Her father, Brian Skinner, was a three-time all-conference selection at Baylor University and the 22nd pick overall of the 1998 NBA. He enjoyed a long but unspectacular career in the NBA, playing for several teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings.
Rebecca prefers to stay away from the limelight. She and Brian raised six children: Madisen, Avery, Jada, Brian, Phoenix, and Malachi. Avery played outside middle for Kentucky from 2017 to 2020 before moving to Baylor for her final year.
Madisen’s transfer to the University of Texas brought her home. She told The Daily Texan that she backed herself to cope with the pressure of high expectations. “I feel like there’s some expectation coming in as a transfer,” Skinner said. “People want me to perform a certain way, but I love the pressure.”
In 2009, Brian gave back to Baylor for their contribution to his development as a basketball player by donating to the organization’s Academic Gallery and Learning Lab honoring Sheila Graham Smith. Graham was the Director of the Office of Access and Learning Accommodations during Brian’s time at Baylor.
“They had a really special relationship,” Bart Byrd, then the assistant Director for student-athlete services, said, per baylorbears.com, “because she helped make sure he did everything he was supposed to do to get his degree while he was here. And he felt really appreciative of all the work that she did with him.”