Head coach Rick Cruz has been associated with George Fox University tennis as both a player and a coach since its inception in 1996. Cruz enters his 26th season as the women's tennis coach at his alma mater in 2025-26.
In 2024-24, the Bruins finished with a 15-8 record and a 11-3 record in the Northwest Conference. They followed their success from the 2023-24 season, tying for second in the conference with Pacific. Their season came to an end in the NWC tournament, dropping their match 2-4 against Pacific. Three Bruins landed on the All-NWC team, with Kalli Wiker and Riley Bobkiewicz earning first-team honors, and Shanah Denham earning second-team honors.
In 2023-24, the Bruins capped off their season with a 6-1 record in the Northwest Conference, reaching the NWC tournament yet again. Their second place finish is the highest placed finish in the recent stat cast era (since 2008-09), with their only loss coming to Whitman, the eventual champion. Three Bruins were named to the All-NWC team, with Kalli Walker receiving first team honors and Riley Bobkiewicz and Elizabeth Cook recieving second team honors. Bobkiewicz was also named NWC Rookie of the Year for her standout play throughout the season.
Fox continued their upwards direction in the 2022-23 season, finishing the year with a 5-2 NWC record, good for third in the conference. In the fall season, six of the Bruins' singles entrants or doubles pairings were able to advance into the quarterfinals of the ITA Regionals, while Kalli Wiker was named to the All-NWC team for her performance throughout the season.
In 2021-22, the Bruins notched their third consecutive winning season and a 5-3 NWC mark, once again qualifying for the conference tournament. Danielle Brown was named All-NWC, the second straight season a Bruin had been named to the All-Conference team.
In 2020-21, Cruz led the Bruins to their first winning season in a full season since 2017, finishing with a 6-2 conference record and earning the three seed in the NWC tournament. Cruz was named 2021 NWC Coach of the Year for his work, his first time receiving the honor. Fox built heavily on their success from 2020, with two athletes named All-Conference and eight named to the ITA All-Scholar team.
The 2019-20 season was halted by COVID-19 just as the Bruins began to put together some real momentum as a team, earning their fourth winning season at 5-4 overall. Freshman Ellie Mangan was 5-0 in singles and 12-1 when adding in her doubles, while junior Taylor Morris was 5-1 in singles and ended the year on a 5-0 run. In doubles, Megan Wilks helped the Bruins by going a perfect 8-0 with Alyssa Byde, Mangan, and Sophia Lawrence as her partners in the lineup.
2018-19 saw the Bruins take a step forward with a 7-13 overall record and a 3-5 record against Northwest Conference competition. Sophia Lawrence and Taylor Morris led the Bruins with 10 wins each in singles, while Laney Search topped the squad with 10 doubles victories.
In 2017-18, the Bruins wrapped up their season with a 5-11 overall record and a 3-5 record in the Northwest Conference. Catrina Kwong led the Bruins all season at the No. 1 spot in singles and doubles. Kwong capped off her senior season as the lone Bruin to make the All-NWC team as a second-team selection.
The 2016-17 season marked the third straight winning season for the women's tennis program. The season was historic for the Bruins, as they earned their first Northwest Conference Tournament appearance since 2005. Sarah Tuemmler earned her second straight All-NWC first-team selection as a Bruin, recording 13 wins at the No. 1 spot in singles.
The Bruins enjoyed their second straight winning season in 2015-16, as Cruz directed the Bruins to a 12-9 overall record. The Bruins managed to finish 7-5 in the Northwest Conference but fell just shy of making the tournament. Sarah Tuemmler was named All-NWC first team for her outstanding performance in her junior season.
The Bruins finished the 2014-15 season with an overall record of 10-9 and a 6-6 record in the Northwest Conference. Sarah Tuemmler was the only Bruin selected on the All-NWC Second Team list.
The 2013-14 season saw the Bruins battle with great effort all year, as they finished with an overall record of 7-12 and 3-9 in the Northwest Conference. Alyssa Emoto had a fantastic season and earned herself a spot on the All-NWC Second Team list.
The Bruins finished the 2012-13 season at 7-11 overall and 4-8 in the conference, finishing seventh in the league. They posted sweeps during the season over the College of Idaho and over league foes Pacific University and Willamette University. Molly Beaumont became the Bruins' first four-time All-Conference player as she earned All-NWC Second Team honors.
Cruz comes from an athletic family. His identical (mirror) twin brother, Rob, has been his assistant coach for 13 years after also playing tennis at George Fox (1996-98). His younger brother Ryan played basketball and tennis for three years at George Fox (1998-2000) before transferring to Linfield University for his senior season and is now a basketball and tennis coach at Summit High School in Bend, Ore.
As a player for the Bruins, Cruz rotated among the No. 1, 2, and 3 singles positions during the first three years of the program from 1996-98. He graduated from George Fox with a B.A. in business in 1998.
A 1994 graduate of Hillsboro (Ore.) High School, Cruz still resides in Beaverton and is a co-owner with his brother Rob of four Cold Stone Creamery stores throughout the metro area.
GFU Milestones
1st win - 9-0 vs. Evergreen State, (3/10/2001)
50th win - 7-2 vs. Hamline at Orlando, Fla., (3/22/2012)
100th win - 8-1 at Willamette (4/8/2017)
150th win - 6-3 at Lewis & Clark (2/3/2024)
