Catching up with Avery Skinner, NCAA champ at UK, pro in Chieri, Italy

Italian pro volleyball player Avery Skinner was a star for Kentucky when it won the 2020 (spring 2021) NCAA volleyball title. She transferred to and finished her career at Baylor before turning pro, where she’s played two seasons for Beziers in France before moving to Chieri ’76 this season.

The 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Katy, Texas, continues to have ties to the UK team. One of her teammates from that squad, Madison Lilley, was her setter last year at Beziers. Lilley has since joined Kentucky as an assistant coach. And Skinner’s sister, Madisen, is not only the Big 12 player of the year this season, she won an NCAA title last year with Texas and has led the Longhorns into the current NCAA Tournament round of 16.

Avery Skinner had a great summer for the USA in the Volleyball Nations League and hopes to be part of the team that goes to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.

We talked about that, and Chieri, but started with NCAA volleyball: