Find Your Strength: Emma Ruhlman’s Breakout Basketball Season

Written by Monica VanDerWeide, '95

A college athlete’s freshman year can sometimes be a slap in the face.

As a basketball player at a small high school in Warren, Pennsylvania, Emma Ruhlman was used to being the best one on the team. Recruited to Hillsdale by then-Assistant Coach Brianna Brennan (now the head coach), Ruhlman felt an immediate connection to the College and the women’s basketball team and was eager to become a Charger. But she quickly realized that all of her teammates had also been the best one on their high school teams.

“It was a big adjustment,” she said. “There were upperclassmen who were stronger, more experienced players. I had to accept limited playing time and figure out my strength.”

Ruhlman went from limited playing time her freshman year to a little more her sophomore year, supporting her teammates in every way she could. “I was always the loudest one on the bench,” she said. She pushed herself in practices and workouts, building up her strength and skills.

By her junior year, Ruhlman had found her strength, earning a spot in the starting lineup and helping the Chargers to their best season in 16 years. The team finished as regular season runner-up in the G-MAC and made it to the final round of the G-MAC Championship tournament, falling just shy of a victory against Ashland in the final minutes. The Chargers also received a bid to play in the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2018 and their first at-large bid since 2008.

Ruhlman’s breakout moment in that spectacular season came at a home game in December 2024 against the nationally ranked and defending Midwest Regional Champion Ferris State Bulldogs. “The stands were packed, my parents were there, and I knew we were going to have a big win,” Ruhlman said. She played her best collegiate game, scoring a career-high 11 points while also contributing three rebounds and two assists. The Chargers dominated, stunning Ferris with a 76-61 victory.

What clicked for Ruhlman?

“I’ve always prided myself on communication,” she said. “I’m always seeking feedback from my teammates and coaches. I knew if I had a goal to work toward, it would pay off. And everything just came together last year. I realized all the time in the gym was worth it.”

The Ferris win gave the Chargers momentum going into the second half of the season as they won 14 out of the next 17 regular season games. Ruhlman set a new career high of 12 points in the next game after the Ferris victory, and she set a new career high of eight rebounds twice, contributing to pivotal late-season victories that set the stage for the Big Dance.

“Playing in the NCAA tourney was surreal,” she said. “You dream about this kind of thing as a little kid. My parents were able to come, and seeing the pride and joy in their eyes was amazing.”

For Ruhlman, the team’s success, as well as her own, is a testament to the coaching and guidance of Brennan.

“Coach Bri cares about you as a player and as a person,” she said. “She wants the best for us. She has believed in me from Day 1, and she never stopped pushing me to get better.”

Just as she’s willing to put in the hard work behind the scenes to excel on the court, Ruhlman has put in the hard work to prepare for a future career as a physician, likely in pediatrics or sports medicine. A biochemistry major, Ruhlman volunteers at Hillsdale Hospital and has also shadowed physicians at the local hospital back home in Pennsylvania. Last summer, she participated in the LAUREATES research program with Professor of Chemistry Christopher Hamilton, who also guided her through the medical school application process. Last March, she received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in recognition of her excellent work in the classroom.

Now a senior, Ruhlman is excited for her final basketball season. “A lot of people think this is going to be a rebuilding year, but I believe we can pick up where we left off,” she said. “Personally, I just want to have fun. I’ve been so blessed to have this time with my teammates.”

From a freshman on the bench to a starting senior, Ruhlman has truly blossomed during her years as a Charger. “Athletics can teach you a lot that you can’t learn in the classroom,” she said. “I’ve become a better person through athletics. I don’t know if freshman Emma would recognize senior Emma.”

Monica VanDerWeide is Director of Marketing Content for Hillsdale College. She graduated from Hillsdale in 1995 with a degree in English and German.

Reposted from the spring 2026 issue of Arete.

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