Skinner was raised in Katy, Texas, one of six children born to Brian and Rebecca Skinner.[1] Her father played professional basketball in the NBA, and her sister Avery was an All-American volleyball player at Kentucky.[1] She started playing volleyball seriously at age 15 and was on the Houston Skyline club team.[2] She played high school volleyball for the Homeschool Christian Youth Association for three years, then transferred to Faith West Academy for her senior year in 2019–20.[3] She co-captained the team and received All-American recognition.[1][4] She committed to Kentucky as one of the top recruits of the class of 2020.[5]
College career
Skinner played alongside her sister Avery in her first year with the Kentucky Wildcats in 2020–21.[5] That season, she recorded 2.85 kills per set on a career-high .384 hitting percentage and was recognized with Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman and All-SEC honors.[6] She recorded a season-high 19 kills on .455 hitting in the 2020 NCAA tournament final against Texas, helping the Wildcats win their first national championship.[7][8] In her second year in 2021, she led the Wildcats with 3.78 kills per set on .282 hitting, again earning All-SEC honors.[1][8] She entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season, choosing Texas following head coach Jerritt Elliott's recruitment effort.[2][8]
Skinner was selected as a co-captain in her first year at Texas in 2022, recording 3.66 kills per set on .307 hitting, and was named first-team All-Big 12 Conference and third-team All-American.[1][9] She helped lead the Longhorns to a 28–1 record and the 2022 NCAA championship, their first national title since 2012, recording 12 kills in the final against Louisville.[10][11] In the 2023 season, she led the Big 12 with a career-high 4.80 kills per set and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and first-team All-American.[2][12] She led the Longhorns to defend their title at the 2023 NCAA tournament and was named the event's most outstanding player, recording 18 kills and a career-high 6 aces against Wisconsin in the semi-finals and 16 kills against Nebraska in the final.[12][13] She received VolleyballMag.com National Player of the Year recognition and the Honda Sports Award for volleyball as the country's best college player.[14][15]