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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – </span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">November
9, 2021<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor VB’s Avery Skinner Woman of the Year Finalist<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor’s Skinner finishes as one of nine finalists for the award<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Madelon Allen, 254-252-7168, </span><a href="mailto:Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Madelon_Allen@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <b> </b><br>
<br>
<b><span style="background:white"><br>
WACO, Texas – </span></b><span style="background:white">No. 6 Baylor volleyball’s Avery Skinner finishes as one of nine 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists as Kendall Cornick of Augustana was named on Tuesday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">This award celebrates the women across all three divisions of the NCAA, championing women of excellence in their academic and athletic careers, as
well as their community service and leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Skinner, an outside hitter, was named a finalist in late October of 2021, along with eight others. Finalists, three from each division were chosen
from the Top 30 Woman of the Year honorees, made up of 10 women from each division. Schools nominated 535 graduating female student-athletes for this award.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Katy, Texas, native transferred to Baylor after graduating from Kentucky with two degrees in interdisciplinary early childhood education and
communication studies and disorders. As a Bear, she is working toward her master’s in speech and language pathology.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">While in Lexington, Skinner was a two-time Academic All-SEC selection and a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team selection. She was named
to the SEC Academic Honor Roll each year of eligibility and was named to the First Year Honor Roll as well. She was a 2020 First Team Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition, she was the new member
and involvement chair of the American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Club at Kentucky.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">An AVCA First Team All-American and 2020 National Champion, Skinner was also an All-SEC Selection and AVCA All-Region honoree. She has hit her 1,000<sup>th</sup>
career kill while at Baylor, and was a unanimous All-Big 12 Preseason pick for the 2021 season. She has gathered multiple Player of the Week awards across her time in volleyball. In addition, she played on the United States Collegiate National Team Europe
Tour in 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Off the court and out of the classroom, Skinner amassed over 250 community service hours. She spent a lot of time in hospitals, NICUs, Early Childhood
centers as well as Hearing and Speech centers. She has served in her local communities as well as on mission trips across the globe. She served in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2019 with Kentucky Athletics. She was the Wildcats’ SEC Community Service Team representative
in 2019 and 2020, and volunteered for two years with the Kentucky Early Childhood Lab.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Kentucky Athletics awards, the CATSPY’s, awarded her the Blue Heart Award, Elite Performer Award, and the Miss Wildcat Award. Skinner was also
inducted into Kentucky’s Frank G. Ham Society of Character. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">"Being a student-athlete is one of the most difficult but rewarding endeavors I have ever done,” said Skinner. “Not playing due to injuries, mental
health, COVID-19, and so much more were not trials that I ever anticipated going through but are all seasons of life that have resulted in resiliency and growth. In these moments of struggle, my character was being built, and I can now use those hardships
to be an encouragement for athletes who might be experiencing similar situations."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Finalists<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Mikayla Bisignani | Johns Hopkins | Molecular and Cellular Biology/Psychology | Swimming & Diving, Outdoor Track & Field<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Anna Cockrell | USC | Communication | Track & Field<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Kendall Cornick | Augustana | Biology/Psychology | Softball*<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Stefani Deschner | Notre Dame | Pre-professional Studies/Theology | Fencing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Naomi Hill | North Central (Ill.) | Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience | Triathlon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Alison Johnson | Adelphi | Childhood Education/Sociology | Lacrosse<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Eka Jose | WashU | Anthropology/Biology | Track & Field<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Avery Skinner | Kentucky | Communication Sciences & Disorders/Early Childhood Education | Volleyball<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Irisa Ye | University of the Sciences | Biomedical Sciences | Basketball<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">*Winner<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> <br>
<br>
<i>-BaylorBears.com-</i><br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#385623">Madelon Allen</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#385623"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">| </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Associate
Director of Athletics Communications (VB, MTEN, A&T)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-252-7168<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="159" height="44" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7D5A5.75B49CD0" alt="signature_1898151188"><o:p></o:p></p>
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