Madi Skinner Continues Upward Progression on Friday
Madi Skinner came to the Kentucky volleyball program in the fall with a world of hype. The Katy, Texas, native was one of the highest-ranked recruits that head coach Craig Skinner (no relation) had ever brought to Lexington.
Madi Skinner was the second-ranked player in the country as a senior in 2020, according to Prep Volleyball. She came to Kentucky with a world of talent and potential.
But Skinner’s freshman season did not start as she had hoped. As the and the Cats navigated their way through COVID-19 protocols, a conference-only schedule and other obstacles, Skinner had her own struggles early in her career.
Skinner, the younger sister of teammate Avery Skinner, missed three of UK’s first four matches in the fall. In her only appearance early, the freshman had three kills and one error on seven swings (.286) in a win over Tennessee.
Later in the fall, Skinner seemed to gain some momentum. Her best match of the fall was in a Nov. 13 win over Mississippi State. In that match, Skinner had 12 kills and just one error on 17 swings (.647). She added a dig and a block assist.
As the calendar turned to 2021, Skinner stayed hot in a Jan. 29 match against Arkansas. She had 9 kills and just one error in 12 attempts (.667), adding three digs and five block assists.
Skinner had one of her better matches of the season on Friday night as Kentucky swept Ole Miss inside Memorial Coliseum. For just the second time in her career, Skinner reached double figures in kills. On this night, she had 10 of those, with just two errors, in 15 attempts. That added up to a .533 hitting percentage, the third-highest percentage for Skinner this season. For good measure, she had a pair of block assists.
Craig Skinner thinks that Madi Skinner is starting to show signs of just how good she can be.
“Probably just experience, experience in the gym,” the UK head coach said. “Our gym is hard to perform in with the group we have on the other side of the net. Just repetition. The athletic ability is obviously there and I think she hits as such a high level. You saw some swings tonight that showed the potential that she has to perform.”
Madi Skinner is becoming more sure of herself with every match.
“I think just confidence. I haven’t played a lot of right side but I was open to trying something new,” Skinner said. “The girls around me have been super supportive.”
Specifically, Skinner is getting into a groove with senior setter Madison Lilley.
“We struggled a little bit last weekend with our connection,” Skinner said. “(Now), we have good tempo and she’s keeping me high so I can be at my max jump.”
Craig Skinner knows that Madi Skinner can play a big role for this team as the season continues.
“She’s in a position that she can really bail us out when she needs to,” the UK head coach said. “If she can get going like that a be a threat all the time offensively, it really opens things up, especially against good teams.”
With Madi Skinner coming into her own, UK has added yet another weapon to an already potent attack.
