“I definitely have a passion for doubles,” Ruiz said. “I’ve always felt that I was a better doubles player than singles player, and luckily in my junior year, I started playing with Rachael (Hush) and we just have really good chemistry.”
Last year was the first year the pair had the opportunity to show off its true talent when it started playing doubles at the No. 1 position. Ruiz said it was really nerve-racking.
What makes the pair work so well together, Hush said, is the chemistry the two have together.
“When we play together, it’s like we know each others games,” she said.
Before Marquette, the Northville, Mich., native attended John Newcombe Tennis Academy in New Baunfels, Texas. She was ranked No. 220 nationally on the United States Tennis Association circuit when she and Hush won the 2007 National Open.
Doubles may be her greatest strength, but junior teammates Paola Calderon and Olga Fischer said Ruiz is no slouch in singles play.
To open last year, she captured wins in six of her first seven singles matches and ended the season in the top five in singles wins on the team with 17.
Although Marquette only has three games under its belt for this season, Ruiz is confident in her team this season.
“I feel our team is a lot different then it has been my last three years here,” she said. “We have depth that we’ve never had before, and we have players at the top of the lineup that are developing incredibly quickly.”
As a team captain, Ruiz has made a positive impact on her younger teammates.
“We all really respect her decisions and listen to everything she has to say,” freshman Chelsea Utting said. “She helps us all out a lot.”
Looking back over the past three years, Ruiz’s success is evident.
She was already a stand-out player when she arrived on campus as a freshman. Ruiz posted the Golden Eagles’ second best doubles win total at 18-13 and 7-1 in Big East matches.
In her second year, Ruiz partnered with the now-graduated Robin Metzler and earned a 12-7 doubles record for the season and earned the team-elected Sportsmanship Award.
Ruiz continued to rise during her junior season. Ending the season 24-6, she and Hush capitalized as a tandem. She earned the Sportsmanship Award for the second year and claimed Big East Player of the Week during the weeks of March 17 and March 24.
During the fall, Ruiz teamed up with Fischer to win the ITA 2nd Chance Tournament, adding four wins onto her doubles record.
She holds a career record of 75- 32 in doubles, but Ruiz’s main goal for the season is for her and partner Hush to overcome past injuries.
“We’ve both struggled with injury in the past and this is our senior year, so it would be really great for us if we could make it to the NCAA’s in doubles,” Ruiz said.