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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">June 5, 2024<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Volleyball’s Avery Skinner Named to U.S. Olympic Team<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Skinner to play for Team USA in Paris Games<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> Madelon Allen; 254-252-7168,
<a href="mailto:madelon_allen@baylor.edu">madelon_allen@baylor.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> B.J. Hoeptner Evans,
<a href="mailto:BJ.Evans@usav.org">BJ.Evans@usav.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Baylor volleyball graduate Avery Skinner has been named to Team USA’s Olympic squad for the 2024 Games in Paris, France, as announced by USA Volleyball
on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">This will be Skinner’s first appearance at the Olympic Games, and the first Bear to be named to an Olympic indoor volleyball roster.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">An outside hitter, Skinner made her USA Volleyball senior team debut at the 2022 Pan Am Cup, where she earned the Best Spiker and Best Scorer
awards while the team earned bronze. She was also on the 2022 Pan Am Cup Final Six squad that earned silver. Since then, she has played in the Volleyball Nations league with the Red, White and Blue, playing in weeks one and two in 2023 as well as the VNL final,
where the team earned fourth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">In this year’s VNL, she has played in both weeks one and two, recording notable matches against the Dominican Republic in week one and Bulgaria
in week two.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">The Texas native played at Kentucky from 2017-20 and spent her fifth year with the Bears in 2021. She was an All-American at both institutions
and won the NCAA title with the Wildcats in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">The women’s indoor volleyball competition at the Paris Games begins July 27 and finishes on August 11. They will be held at the South Paris
Arena, located nine miles south of the Olympic village.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">The U.S. women won their first-ever gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Overall, the U.S. women have won three silver and two bronze
medals in the sport.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the upcoming Baylor Volleyball <span style="color:#212121"><a href="https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule" title="https://baylorbears.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule"><span style="color:#0078D7;text-decoration:none">season</span></a> </span>can
visit<span style="color:#212121"> <a href="https://app.baylorbears.com/BUVBTix?_ga=2.247694151.1167521053.1712169815-422842061.1678217840" title="https://app.baylorbears.com/BUVBTix?_ga=2.247694151.1167521053.1712169815-422842061.1678217840"><span style="color:#0078D7;text-decoration:none">BaylorBears.com/Tickets</span></a>. </span>All
seats are general admission for volleyball in the Ferrell Center. The Bears will host 19 home matches, including three non-conference tournaments, starting on August 30 with Abilene Christian for <span style="color:#212121"><a href="https://baylorbears.com/news/2024/5/21/volleyball-vb-to-host-future-bears-day-against-abilene-christian.aspx" title="https://baylorbears.com/news/2024/5/21/volleyball-vb-to-host-future-bears-day-against-abilene-christian.aspx"><span style="color:#0078D7;text-decoration:none">Future
Bears Day</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">To stay up to date all year long on all things Baylor volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorVBall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#154734;mso-ligatures:none">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> | Associate Director of Athletics
Communications (Baseball, Football)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DAB754.604FF680" alt="signature_755003624"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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