Feet on the court, head in the books: How US volleyball star Avery Skinner is forging her own path

Since the age of eight, Avery Skinner knew that volleyball was her thing.

A childhood full of trying many different sports, nothing could tear her away from the court.

The daughter of former NBA star Brian Skinner is determined to forge her own path away from his shadow.

“I think there are definitely things I can pull from his success and kind of observe from his great career,” the 25-year-old exclusively tells Olympics.com.

“However, I also am playing a completely different sport. I have my own opportunity to create my identity in this sport.”

Whether it is on the court or off it, where she is studying speech therapy, Avery is striving to be the very best version of herself.

We caught up with the USA international, talking all things volleyball, speech therapy, and inspiring the next generation.

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On the court: Striving toward an Olympic debut

Just two years on from making her USA debut, an Olympic curtain call is on the horizon for Avery Skinner who plays in Italy for Chieri.

The outside hitter has not looked back since her impressive showing at the 2022 Pan Am Volleyball Cup, where she was named one of the best in her position, and best scorer.

While playing at the Games wasn’t necessarily a dream she had as a kid - though it definitely is now - Avery and her family have always loved tuning into the Olympics.

Gymnastics was her go-to event to watch, but soon came Volleyball and three years ago she saw some of her now-teammates storm to gold.

“I would say in the beginning [of her national team inclusion] it was kind of nerve-wracking because I'm walking in and they're like, ‘hi, I'm so and so’ I'm like, ‘I know who you are!’,” she says.

“I think also it's a matter of realising I do deserve to be here and even though I have looked up to these girls for so long, I have put myself in a position to be in this spot.

“So being able to celebrate that, and of course, I still admire and try to learn so much from them, but also knowing that I do belong [here] and we're all on the team aiming for the same goal.”

No doubt that a second consecutive gold will be their aim going into Paris 2024 – but a chance to be part of history is not the only thing special about this summer’s showpiece.

For the first time ever, it will be a gender-equal Games.

“I think it's great that we're at this spot now where women, especially this year, I feel like they're getting so much spotlight and rightfully so,” Skinner adds.

“It is going to be really cool to just see that shine and it has been really, really cool to see these really strong, powerful women step out and speak up for what they believe in and be great role models showing these young girls: this is what you can do, this is what you can be like.”

Off the court: Studying speech therapy

When she isn’t busy honing her skills as an outside hitter, Avery studies speech therapy.

Her love for a topic that may seem niche to others was sparked by her cousin, and the journey to getting cochlear implants after being born deaf.

“Just the process of her and her family also going through it and her getting the cochlear implants, her family before having to learn sign language,” she explained.

“Her sisters trying to learn sign language, which they could communicate with her and then also watching her be able to eventually work towards speech and moving from her special ed class to the general education classroom.

“I kind of had that vision of, wow, this could be me and I would absolutely love to be able to do that.”

Volleyball is very much Skinner’s focus at the minute, but working in speech therapy is both her present and her future.

“I think everybody deserves a voice,” she continues.

“Whether that's through speech, whether that's through an augmented alternative communication device, [or] whether that means sign language.

“I want to be able to provide that if I can to those individuals., and it's something that I'm really looking forward to being able to do whenever I'm done playing volleyball.”

Avery Skinner: Playing in Italy feels like a dream

When playing for the national team doesn’t have Avery travelling the world, she is anchored to Italy where she plays domestically for Chieri, near Turin.

Away from her family and in an entirely new environment, struggles with settling down are normal.

But there is equally part of her that feels like she is dreaming, sometimes in a state of disbelief that this is her life, this is her job.

“I know people have very differing opinions on playing overseas, at least Americans do, because it is very different culturally,” she began.

“It is definitely a time of growth but also a time of just having fun and enjoying this period of my life.

“It just seems like a dream sometimes, it does not feel like a job to me!”

Next season will mark her third playing overseas – but being away from her family does not get any easier.

Their support, albeit it from across the pond more often than not, is the driving force behind the Texas native’s success.

“I absolutely could not do this without them, it is tough but they are so grounding for me,” she adds.

“I love my FaceTime calls with them when I’m overseas and then really cherish that time I have with them in person.”

Words that define her career

At 25, there are plenty more chapters for Avery to add to her incredible story.

But how would she surmise it so far?

Work ethic.

“I feel like my work ethic is something that I'm really proud of and it is something that has gotten me to where I'm at because I haven't had that typical path. I think that's something that I really have relied on. I've seen the results of me being able to work hard and just kind of put my head down and realise that maybe I won't see the results now, but it could come later.”

Joy.

“As a kid, even my coaches were like, ‘Why do you smile so much? Stop smiling when you get a kill, you need to look scarier’ and my parents were like ‘Don't tell her that, let her play how she wants to play.’ I think that's something that sometimes can get lost in competition, the joy and [the reasons] why you play the sport because of course it gets intense, but I think that's what keeps me playing because I really do have so much fun and I want it to show too on the court, not only to the fans who are watching but also my teammates. I think that [lifts] them up in times that maybe it's stressful. I can be that little spark of joy.”

Growth.

“I think as a player and as a human, I have grown so much playing volleyball and I have learned lessons that I would have never learned any other way. That's another reason why I'm still playing is because my goal is to just become my best self on the court. But as a human as well, the lessons, and the people that I've met, are just priceless and I absolutely love it and I'm going to keep playing until… well I hope I never stop loving it! But it's been a really, really cool ride so far.”

Ultimately though, Avery does not want to focus on the past or even the future, she just wants to appreciate the present, taking nothing for granted.

In fact, if she was able to give her younger self a message, it would be exactly that: “Be present and enjoy the moment.”

She concludes: “I’m grateful for the journey [but] I want to continue being present because I think that’s where you can learn and grow the most.”