Chelsey Ruiz Joins UC Irvine Women’s Tennis Coaching Staff
August 25, 2026 | Women's Tennis
IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine women's tennis head coach Elizabeth Ferris Smith has announced the hiring of Chelsey Ruiz as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
"Chelsey has been building her coaching resume over the years by working at the junior, high school, and college levels and has been mentored by prominent coaches in each area and she's excited to bring that knowledge to UCI," Ferris said. "She was a hard worker and fighter while also being a total team player while at CSULA and will bring that same energy here to UCI."
Ruiz joins the Anteaters after coaching at the junior, high school and collegiate levels, including assistant coaching positions at Cal State LA and Harvard-Westlake, where she helped lead the Wolverines to the CIF Championship Final in 2025. She also spent the summers of 2022 and 2023 coaching in Zurich, Switzerland, and at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, respectively, focusing on technical development, mental resilience, strategy and physical conditioning.
At Buchanan High School, Ruiz helped lead the program to its first-ever league championship during the 2021-22 season. She also served as an assistant coach at Immaculate Heart School during the 2022-23 season.
A standout player at Cal State LA, Ruiz earned All-PacWest honors and finished her career with a 47-29 singles record, including a 41-22 mark in dual matches. She also posted a 31-26 doubles record and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the NCAA Division II West Region.
Ruiz enjoyed an accomplished prep career at Bullard High School in Fresno, winning league individual titles from 2012-15 and CIF individual championships in 2014 and 2015. She earned all-league honors in singles and doubles all four years, was ranked among the top 35 juniors in California, and was named the Fresno Bee Athlete of the Year in 2015.
"Joining UC Irvine is an incredibly exciting next step for me, and I'm especially thankful to Elizabeth Ferris for believing in me and giving me this opportunity," Ruiz said. "I'm grateful to be part of the Anteater program and to have the chance to learn from her, contribute to the development of our student-athletes and help continue building the program. I've had great coaches invest in me throughout my career, and now being able to have that same type of positive impact on the next generation of players is something that means a lot to me."
"Chelsey has been building her coaching resume over the years by working at the junior, high school, and college levels and has been mentored by prominent coaches in each area and she's excited to bring that knowledge to UCI," Ferris said. "She was a hard worker and fighter while also being a total team player while at CSULA and will bring that same energy here to UCI."
Ruiz joins the Anteaters after coaching at the junior, high school and collegiate levels, including assistant coaching positions at Cal State LA and Harvard-Westlake, where she helped lead the Wolverines to the CIF Championship Final in 2025. She also spent the summers of 2022 and 2023 coaching in Zurich, Switzerland, and at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, respectively, focusing on technical development, mental resilience, strategy and physical conditioning.
At Buchanan High School, Ruiz helped lead the program to its first-ever league championship during the 2021-22 season. She also served as an assistant coach at Immaculate Heart School during the 2022-23 season.
A standout player at Cal State LA, Ruiz earned All-PacWest honors and finished her career with a 47-29 singles record, including a 41-22 mark in dual matches. She also posted a 31-26 doubles record and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the NCAA Division II West Region.
Ruiz enjoyed an accomplished prep career at Bullard High School in Fresno, winning league individual titles from 2012-15 and CIF individual championships in 2014 and 2015. She earned all-league honors in singles and doubles all four years, was ranked among the top 35 juniors in California, and was named the Fresno Bee Athlete of the Year in 2015.
"Joining UC Irvine is an incredibly exciting next step for me, and I'm especially thankful to Elizabeth Ferris for believing in me and giving me this opportunity," Ruiz said. "I'm grateful to be part of the Anteater program and to have the chance to learn from her, contribute to the development of our student-athletes and help continue building the program. I've had great coaches invest in me throughout my career, and now being able to have that same type of positive impact on the next generation of players is something that means a lot to me."
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