Avery Skinner makes U.S. Volleyball National Team for Paris Olympics

More Kentucky Blue is getting into Team USA. Former Kentucky volleyball star Avery Skinner was named to the United States Volleyball National Team on Wednesday. She’ll represent both her country and the Cats at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Skinner played for Kentucky from 2017-21 before finishing her college career at Baylor. The outside hitter from Katy, Texas helped the Cats win four straight SEC Championships and, of course, the national championship in 2020. During her time in Lexington, she hit .268 with 821 kills, an average of 3.11 kills per set. She is tied for third all-time in program history with four matches of at least 20 kills, her career high of 22 coming against Tennessee in 2020.

Skinner has experience on the U.S. Women’s National Team, playing in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League preliminary rounds last week in Arlington, Texas, and in 2023. She was also part of the Pan Am Cup team that won silver in 2022, winning best spiker and best scorer. Clearly, her performance last week was enough to earn her a coveted roster spot for the Olympics, which start July 26 in Paris. The U.S. Women’s National Team won gold in the 2020 Olympics; silver in 1984, 2008, and 2012; and bronze in 1992 and 2016. They entered the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in the world.

Skinner joins a growing list of former Wildcats who will represent the United States in Paris this summer. Earlier this week, Rhyne Howard was named to the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team. Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo also made the 12-man roster for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team. The U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field aren’t until later this month, but Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will surely qualify to defend her gold medal in the 400m hurdles.

Go Cats. Go USA.

Kentucky Volleyball will play Nebraska in AVCA First Serve Showcase

While we’re talking volleyball, this seems like a good opportunity to remind you that Kentucky will play perennial power Nebraska in the American Volleyball Coaches Association First Serve Showcase in Louisville on August 27. The Cats vs. the Huskers is the first of the two-match series at the KFC Yum! Center, which also features Louisville and Wisconsin.

Nebraska is one of the top volleyball programs in the country, with five national championships, the most recent in 2017. The Huskers were runners-up last year, losing to Texas in the championship match. They lead Kentucky in the all-time series 11-2, most recently beating the Cats 3-1 last year in Lincoln. Time to turn the tables.

Tickets for AVCA First Serve go on sale Friday, June 14 at 10 am at the KFC Yum! Center box office and ticketmaster.com with a presale taking place June 10-13. For more information on the AVCA First Serve Showcase, click here.