The chapter that Madisen Skinner and Texas Longhorns shared since 2022 has come to an end, as the volleyball star will seek her professional career next season. Her final match with the team was against Creighton in the regional semifinals, where they lost with a score of 1-3. It was a devastating end to her NCAA chapter, as Skinner wanted to win her fourth and the third NCAA title for the Longhorns.

Over the past two years with the team, she has achieved numerous accolades in her prolific career, and witnessing such talent progress towards her next step in the sport was deeply emotional for coach Jerritt Elliot. They have been together for a few seasons, but during that small tenure, they achieved a lot, and he had nothing but appreciation for the volleyball player, including a candid thought on his team’s future.

The value that Madisen Skinner carried

Madisen Skinner is a talent that all the NCAA teams crave. Only two universities were able to witness her precious skills, which are the Kentucky Wildcats and the Texas Longhorns. She achieved her career-first NCAA title with the Wildcats in 2020, followed by two more titles with the Longhorns. She even achieved the Honda Sports Award as the best college volleyball player in the 2023 campaign. Skinner and her squad pursued the same set of goals this season but ultimately faced elimination in the regional semifinals.

Undoubtedly, Skinner’s NCAA career was nothing short of a dream, but many anticipated a fairytale ending for her. Everyone in the Longhorns will be missing her from the next season, but not more than coach Jerritt Elliot. As reported by Austin American Statesman, in a post-match interview, he went candid with the emotions over watching one of his college’s talents mature into a professional player, stating, “Madi is a unique individual that will leave a lasting impression on me and this program. There’s a little 9- or 10-year-old out there that wants to come to Texas and will come to Texas because of Madi. Sometimes, you have star athletes that aren’t committed to the team. She’s always been team-first. She’s always worked hard in the gym, and she’s always been about trying to get better and been all about the team.”

The coach emphasized the impact Skinner had on the whole team. She was a package, as she didn’t only shine in the sport but also kept a vibrant atmosphere in the squad, owing to her glowing personality. Furthermore, he revealed that she has been a big inspiration to many out there, especially young girls who would like to repeat one of her legacies with the Longhorns in the future. “She was never negative. She was always positive in terms of what we can do to get better as a team. When you have someone with that great loyalty and someone that has fun and joy coming into the gym every single day, someone that understands who she is as a person and wants to grow as a person, it’s pretty special,” added Elliot.

Since 2001, Elliot has been coaching the Longhorns, but there are not many players that he has seen like Skinner. She was a one-of-a-kind athlete, and her presence was something that made a difference. Furthermore, he appreciated the mindset she carried through her, which positively impacted the whole team. Elliot believes that no player can truly replace her in the future, but the Longhorns have Devin Kahahawai as their only returning outside hitter. While she isn’t much of an attacker, she might be the only possible choice for the coach in the next season. 

Skinner’s departure from the Longhorns will have a bigger impact. She is aware of this, but as a rising talent, she must prioritize her own career, which includes pursuing ambitious goals beyond the NCAA scene. However, as she spent three healthy years with the team, she wasn’t able to stop herself from describing her emotions, especially about her coach, who guided her towards NCAA titles two times in her tenure.

Volleyball star goes candid about her coach

“I’ve learned a lot about Jerritt,” Madisen Skinner stated in the press conference after their regional semifinals match, and continued, stating, “I mean, just like we built our trust in the relationship, and I don’t do that easily. So, yeah, I’ve just enjoyed getting closer with him and enjoyed developing a relationship with a coach that I know I can trust and love very deeply. So, it definitely wasn’t like that from the start, but it’s been a special past three years. I know I’m always going to have him in my corner for the rest of my life.”

She has attended two colleges in her career, but the impact the Longhorns had on her career was exceptional. She confirmed that the accolades, particularly the two NCAA titles, would not have been possible without the help and guidance of her coach, Elliot. Skinner also confirmed that her development with the Longhorns was fantastic throughout her three-year tenure. Even though they lost their recent match and missed the regional finals for the first time in five years, Skinner doesn’t harbor any grudges. She believes that the time she spent with the Longhorns was something she will cherish in the future.