Welcome to the Party: Madisen Skinner on Winning and the Future of Volleyball

Hosts: Julie Foudy ("A"), Abby Wambach ("C"), with guest Madisen Skinner ("B")
Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates both the joy of women’s sports and the extraordinary journey of volleyball star Madisen Skinner. Hosts Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, joined by legendary Billie Jean King, dive deep with Skinner into her winning mentality, the evolution of women’s volleyball, the pressures of championship success, and the importance of mental health. The conversation ranges from Skinner’s personal background, her relationship with her sister, and what’s next for League One Volleyball ("Love"), to a candid discussion of the sport’s fast growth and future, advocating for unity in the professional landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Madisen Skinner: A Serial Winner

• Championship Pedigree: Skinner has won four championships in six years across collegiate (Kentucky, Texas) and professional (Love Austin) levels (06:53, 11:03).

  • “That’s four championships for you in six years.” — Julie Foudy (00:00)
  • “Yeah, that’s correct.” — Madisen Skinner (00:04, 11:03)

• Unlikely Triumph: Love Austin finished 5th out of 6 teams in the regular season, then pulled off two reverse sweeps to win the league’s inaugural championship (07:43).

  • “By the time we finished, they were like, are y’all kidding? Like, y’all literally sucked the whole season, and then you come in and you just ... win the whole thing.” — Madisen Skinner (07:53)

• On Pressure: Skinner feels pressure is internal, driven by her own high standards, rather than external expectations (11:24).

  • “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I don’t feel like it’s really anything external ... I’m hard on myself, and I’m a competitor, and I want to win.” — Madisen Skinner (11:24)

2. The State and Evolution of Pro Volleyball

• League Structure:

  • Six teams (Atlanta, Omaha, Madison, Wisconsin, Houston, Austin, Salt Lake) (09:38).
  • Playoffs now only include top four; expansion coming in 2027, including new franchises like Love San Francisco, which excites the hosts as future “owners” (09:38, 06:57).

• Growing Fan Presence: Expectation for even bigger crowds and fan engagement in season two (09:38).

• Innovative Coaching: New Love Austin coach Eric brings national team experience, emphasizing innovation and creativity in the gym (23:57).

  • “He’s really just kind of stressed to us to be more innovative in the sport ... we’ve all been taught a specific way ... and all of us have kind of embraced just trying to make ourselves look crazy sometimes and do something that maybe not everyone else is doing.” — Madisen Skinner (23:57)

• Women's Volleyball "Moment": Hosts and guests reflect on explosive fan excitement, pointing to college volleyball crowd records and increased mainstream visibility (24:44).

3. The Mental Health Conversation

• Health and Balance: Skinner credits much of her growth and resilience to embracing mental health care, utilizing therapy, and pursuing off-court passions (13:01).

  • “We have a sports psych here on staff ... she does like little clinics with us about mindfulness, and then we do ... team bonding ... But I was so consumed with volleyball ... honestly doing too much ... the biggest difference is ... filling my time with stuff that helps me decompress and makes me feel like a normal human and not just a robot that’s doing the same thing all day, every day.” — Madisen Skinner (13:01)

• Generational Shift: Abby describes her own experience with old-school athletic culture, highlighting how athlete wellness wasn’t prioritized in the past (14:04).

  • "Back when I was playing mental health, like, that wasn't a thing ... you soldier on ... I didn’t know you could call in sick.” — Abby Wambach (14:04, 14:39)

• Public Vulnerability: Skinner is lauded for publicly talking about her mental health, making her a role model for younger athletes (15:32).

  • “It’s a testament to your character that you want to even talk about this stuff publicly ... when you say the thing out loud ... you get to have a little bit of more power over it.” — Abby Wambach (15:32)

4. Family, Upbringing, and the Sisterhood

• Dance & Music Roots: Skinner was immersed in ballet, music, and various youth sports before embracing volleyball at age 14 due to older sister Avery’s persuasion (18:34, 19:58).

  • “We were in the same performances at one point ... she was performing, and we were both performing.” — Madisen Skinner (18:48)

• Relationship with Avery: The sisters have always been allies, rarely rivals, both on and off the court—even when on the same team, or now both on the national team (21:38).

  • “We’ve honestly been each other’s biggest fans ... even though she is across the ocean and on a crazy time difference, we still chat at least four to five times a week.” — Madisen Skinner (21:38)

• Olympic Aspirations: Though both are on the U.S. national team, they don’t discuss Olympic dreams together, but hosts openly wish for them to compete side by side in 2028 (22:55).

  • “I manifest right now in my body ... I want to see this happen.” — Abby Wambach (23:27)

5. The Future & Unity of Pro Volleyball

• Crowded Market: Discussion of parallel leagues (LOVE and MLV), and the confusion it causes (26:49).

• Skinner’s Perspective: Players favor a unified league to combine talent, simplify the landscape, and foster bigger, more passionate fan bases (27:03).

  • “I haven’t met a lot of girls that love the idea of having two separate leagues ... I think it’s dumb ... all of the girls are in favor of ... having the best of the best ... playing in one big league.” — Madisen Skinner (27:03)

• Competitive Fire: Skinner wants an all-star crossover match to finally settle which league is better (28:18).

  • “Let’s really put it to the test ... that’s the competitor. Let’s do it.” — Madisen Skinner (27:56)

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• “She is so good. Have you seen video of her? She just floats.” — Julie Foudy (00:08, 31:14)
• On the pressure to win: “It’s pressure, but I put a lot of pressure on myself ... I’m hard on myself, and I’m a competitor.” — Madisen Skinner (11:24)
• “Balance outside of it is actually, I think, counterproductive ... Like you said, like you needed the balance outside of it.” — Julie Foudy (17:59)
• “We need the interviews.” — Madisen Skinner (23:45)
• “I think the hope is for it to be similar to all of those leagues and, honestly, even better ... The way that we’re going right now is amazing and I’m really excited to see how we keep trending upwards.” — Madisen Skinner (26:08)

Memorable Moments & Banter

• Abby jokes about her New Year’s resolution to, “just a little jump”—commiserating with Madisen about how hard it is to jump in sand (30:19).
• The hosts reveal they’ve invested in Love San Francisco, jokingly angling to recruit Skinner—and then realize (with much laughter) they definitely can't do that (06:57, 31:46).
• Julie and Abby express how they’d be “hooligans” in the front row, loudly rooting for the Skinner sisters at the Olympics (23:38).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–05:34: Cold open and host catch-up; segue into Madisen Skinner’s background
• 06:54–09:38: Skinner on Love Austin’s championship run and the league’s structure/growth
• 11:24: Pressure, expectations, and Skinner’s competitive mindset
• 13:01–15:32: Mental health: therapy, balance, generational change
• 18:34–21:06: Skinner’s upbringing: dance, music, late start in volleyball
• 21:38–23:23: On sisterhood, rivalry (or lack thereof), and national team ambitions
• 23:57–24:44: Inside the Austin team and creative coaching
• 24:44–26:08: Women’s volleyball fandom and growth trajectory
• 27:03–28:18: The case for league unity and the call for all-star crossovers

Tone & Community Spirit

• The tone is upbeat, warm, and candid, with the hosts both celebrating Skinner’s brilliance and showing vulnerability about their own journeys.
• Julie and Abby’s reverence for women’s sports shines through as they call for even bigger visibility, equity, and celebration of the athletes’ full selves—on and off the court.

Conclusion

This episode captures the electricity of women’s volleyball in a transformative era, centered on a star who embodies excellence, candor, and vision for the sport’s future. Skinner’s message to young athletes: balance ambition with wellness, embrace joy, and help build a landscape where talent and fandom can thrive together.

Listen to this episode for inspiration, inside-the-game context, laughs, and a look at the next frontier of women’s professional volleyball.