As junior Christina Ruiz completed the serve, her body stretched as far as it would go. The ball came speeding back toward her, and she returned with another hard hit. She didn’t even flinch, although she knew the pain she would feel the moment her racquet and the ball connected.
Pain in her rotator cuff has been bothering Ruiz all year, but she’s not one to talk about it. With several matches each weekend and daily practices, her muscles are getting worn out. Her aggressive nature can be compromised because she has to put her own safety first, but she’s more focused on being on the court every day. The constant pain forces her to relax sometimes, but it’s not in her nature to take it easy. She’s tough enough to tolerate even the most unbearable irritation, which has gotten worse as the frequency of matches has picked up. She still won’t let up because even the slightest injury can’t put a dent in her work ethic.
“She has been going into rehab and doing exercises to get it stronger, and I think that her dedication to really want to compete has helped a lot,” said Ruiz’s doubles partner, junior Rachael Hush.
Hush and Ruiz are 5-2 in doubles play, only losing to then-ranked Nos. 46 and 32 Indiana and Illinois, respectively. Both losses came in tight matches, the opponent claiming victory at 8-6. It’s hard to tell if the opponent even knew of any struggle if she was fighting pain as she fought the adversary.
Ruiz said her doubles pairing works so well because her partner is always in tune with what she’s feeling.
“On days when she knows I’m struggling or (my shoulder is) not feeling that great, her serve is just amazing,” Ruiz said.
That little extra something makes up for whatever intensity Ruiz has to forego at that moment.
The duo make a solid combination, and Ruiz knows she can rely on her other half. In addition to the support she receives in her doubles game, Ruiz said coach Jody Bronson has been helping her change strategy based on how she feels day to day.
“She has an all-court game, which really allows her to be able to do a lot of different things that a lot of players aren’t as comfortable with,” Bronson said. “She really doesn’t want to focus on it if her shoulder is bothering her.”
Ruiz has also been taking preventive measures to keep the pain to a minimum. No matter what, though, she is sure to be on the court for dual play.
“She’s really competitive and passionate about playing,” Hush said about her partner.
This has given Ruiz the motivation to play through any discomfort.
“It’s almost like the competition makes the pain go away,” Ruiz said. “It’s the intensity and the fact that I want to be out there so bad.”
Ruiz said the distress almost disappeared while playing No. 5 at Illinois. She claimed Marquette’s only point that day and improved her singles record to 6-1, taking the match in two sets, 7-5, 6-4.
Tomorrow the Golden Eagles head to Kalamazoo to face rival Western Michigan.
“Western Michigan is a team that gives us tremendous effort and they’re extremely tough to beat,” Bronson said. “They’re going to put up a huge fight.”
On Sunday, Marquette will host Illinois State and Wisconsin-Green Bay.
