RECRUIT ANNOUNCEMENT: Bianca Ruiz to bring veteran presence to women’s volleyball

The Gee-Gees women's volleyball program is pleased to announce the second member of their 2023-24 incoming class, Bianca Ruiz.

Ruiz previously spent three seasons with the Acadia Axewomen program. She was an outside hitter with the Wolfville, N.S.-based team. 

"Back in 2015-2017, I would watch the Gee-Gees take the OUA and RSEQ by storm," said Ruiz, an Ottawa native. "I have always admired the program and culture, so when I made the decision to play again, I knew that I wanted to contribute and be a part of that family and history."

"It's not every day you get a chance to add a player to your gym who brings immediate experience, maturity, focus and performance," said Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods. "When we found out Bianca was back in town and looking to potentially attend Teacher Education, while playing out her U SPORTS eligibility, we felt fortunate that the timing was ideal to add her to our roster. 

"Bianca will no doubt improve our chance for a 'run at the Top Four' next year and is already having a positive impact as a role model and added excitement in our gym." 

A graduate of Glebe Collegiate, Ruiz enjoyed three winning seasons with the Axewomen from 2017-20. Statistically, her best season came in 2019-20, when she averaged 0.70 kills-per-set and 1.50 digs-per-set. She was also with the team during the COVID-19 season in 2020-21, earning U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian honours.

Ruiz is a product of the Ottawa Mavericks organization, having played and coached with the club prior to her university career. She has coached alongside many of the current Gee-Gees assistant coaches with the Mavericks, including Sophie Carpentier, Sabrina Roy and Alix Durivage. 

In addition to her familiarity with the Gee-Gees program, the University of Ottawa's Teacher Education program was also a draw for Ruiz. 

"I have been coaching and teaching kids ever since I was 15 years old, in a variety of sports and environments," said the 5'11" outside hitter. "I find the process very rewarding, and I believe the Education program will help me take my mentoring skills to the next level. I also chose uOttawa to be closer to home and spend more time with my family." 

Ruiz has already been training the with Gee-Gees during the latter half of the 2022-23 campaign. She'll have two years of eligibility remaining come the fall.

Outside hitter Camryn Giddens was the first member of Ottawa's 2023-24 recruiting class. The 2023-24 RSEQ regular season schedule is expected to be announced in the summer.