The ending could have been better. Madisen Skinner could have received a better farewell. It was the last day of one of the most decorated volleyball player’s collegiate careers. And she had to leave the iconic Rec Hall of Penn State, teary-eyed. Did she attempt any offense? No. Instead, in the NCAA Regionals semifinal game against Creighton, she scored 23 kills. Support from the other end might have turned many things in the game that ended with a 3-1 scoreline. However, the defeat knocked Texas Longhorns out of the race and Skinner out of her five-year-long collegiate career. Now, she will have to catch up with the fresh episode of her life. 

Madisen Skinner is not the Longhorn anymore. After joining the Texas camp in 2022, she completed her collegiate eligibility this month. Now, she will have to embrace her professional volleyball career. The updates claim that the 6’2” opposite hitter has signed up for the LOVB Austin squad. She will soon be seen playing for the professional squad in the inaugural season of the league. Things and approaches will be different. Does that cause worry in Madison Skinner? 

Spending her collegiate career in two different programs and winning the national titles for both of them, Skinner might take time to feel normal in her new engagement. The new world is absolutely new for her. In her latest TikTok video, the Texas-born mentioned that part. 

Just before moving to Austin to join her professional team, Madisen Skinner shared a video post on TikTok. In the clip, she explained her emotions and excitement about joining LOVB Austin. In one such critical moment, Skinner said, “The thought of going back to Austin as like a professional now and not going back for school is really weird but also something that I’m super excited for.” After five long seasons in college volleyball and spending almost nine years playing volleyball, Madi is a professional volleyball player now. 

This feeling can work as a balancing act for Skinner, especially after her exit from the Longhorns. It can give her the spark she has been wanting throughout the years. Now, if you listen to her words in the shared clip, you may think that the four-time AVCA All-American is slowly advancing on that route. In the clip, she added, “I’m so glad that I took my fifth year but I also feel like I’ve been in college forever and in school forever so I’m really excited to be done in that sense and just be able to focus on volley full-time.” The League One Volleyball squad can give her that launch pad. She will be able to take her career to the level she wants. 

Furthermore, LOVB Austin celebrated Madisen Skinner’s entry into the fold uniquely. They called it her reunion with her former mates from the Longhorns. Notably, the LOVB Austin squad has names like Logan Eggleston, Asjia O’Neal, Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres, and Zoe (Fleck) Jarvis. Skinner cherished this known gathering. In her TikTok clip, the 23-year-old said, “To be back in Austin playing with like four or five of my old teammates and other girls that I’ve just known and have been Longhorn Legends is the craziest feeling. It’s gonna be like a blast from the past but also like the last time I saw them I just felt like time stopped and we picked up right where we left off.” Feelings are right on the point for Skinner. But also, it’s a valuable transformation of her life. How? 

Madisen Skinner: A Journey Fueled by Support

Unlike her elder sister Avery, Madisen Skinner didn’t have any initial love affair with volleyball. She started as a gymnast. Later, because of her lanky height, she moved to soccer. But the sport failed to create a buzz in her. So the result? Madisen started to look around. She could have joined the ballet. But again, her height kept her away from joining the group. Basketball? No. That wasn’t on the list. Then? Little Madi had one option left: volleyball. Fortunately, she had a sister like Avery. 

In the next few months, the big sister did everything she could to make Madisen the player. Well, the little sis grabbed the chance with both hands. In some moments, Madisen felt insecurities in her mind. But Avery was there to pick her up. She eventually erased every doubt from her sister’s mind. That ultimately made the player the fans are seeing these days.

But wasn’t Avery’s job hard? The Olympian sister doesn’t think that. She only laid out, “Volleyball was something I was loving so much. And Madi is literally good at everything she does. I wanted her to have something she enjoyed as much as I did.” Now, Madi is on her way to embrace her fresh episode in the volleyball sport.