She grew up in a volleyball household: her father Scott Skinner has coached at the collegiate level, which means she developed her game with access to coaching infrastructure and tactical understanding that most players acquire only after years of elite competition. She played at Texas, where she became one of the most productive outside hitters in the program's history and drew national attention before her transfer. The move to Nebraska was significant in college volleyball terms, a switch between two of the sport's most prominent programs, and she arrived in Lincoln and won a national championship. Her performance in Paris confirmed what the college record had suggested: that she was operating at a level that translated directly to the international game.

Her father's involvement in the sport gave her an early education in its structure and demands that shaped how she approached competition at every level. She won an Olympic gold medal at 22, and is only at the beginning of her career.