Trinity Lutheran’s Ruthie Bingham is joined by her father, BJ; mother, Ann; brother, Zach; sister, Bridget; and grandmother, Janos, as well as Trinity coaches Faith Wilder-Newland, Gregg Greathouse and Mindy Roeder as Bingham signs her national letter of intent to play volleyball at Mount St. Joseph.
Dylan Wallace | The Tribune
Trinity Lutheran’s Ruthie Bingham returns serve during the Class A state finals match at Worthen Arena on the Ball State campus Nov. 6, 2021. Bingham recently committed to play collegiate volleyball at Mount St. Joseph.
Tribune file photo
Ruthie Bingham got a late start to her volleyball career, not participating in the sport until seventh grade.
Her elementary school didn’t have a volleyball team, so she played basketball when she was younger. Once Bingham decided to try out volleyball in middle school, it was one of the best decisions she ever made.
“I instantly fell in love with it,” Bingham said. “I didn’t feel that connected to any other sport.”
It led to an impressive career for Bingham that stretched through four years at Trinity Lutheran High School in Seymour.
This past season as a senior, Bingham was second on the team in 382 kills and helped lead the Cougars to the Class A state finals in Worthen Arena at Ball State University in Muncie.
“I would not change my experience at Trinity for anything,” she said.
Even though Trinity lost in a heartbreaking fifth set, Bingham said after the match that she wanted to continue playing volleyball in college.
On March 4 at Trinity, Bingham made that official, signing a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Mount St. Joseph University.
Mount St. Joseph wasn’t even on Bingham’s radar until after her senior season at Trinity came to a close. She was in her club season, and the assistant coach contacted her, so she decided to go visit.
“I thought that would be a really good fit for me with the Christian atmosphere, and it’s small but a little bit bigger than Trinity,” Bingham said. “It was everything I wanted, and the girls fit my personality girls so well, so I couldn’t turn it down.”
Her decision came down between Mount St. Joseph and Thomas More University, which are about 15 minutes apart.
Bingham went to an open gym at Mount St. Joseph and met a girl in her recruiting class, and the two connected immediately. Bingham said the level of experience the coaches had at Mount St. Joseph and the girls on the team influenced the decision the most.
It’s an added luxury that Bingham, who had many supporters in attendance for her college signing, is close to home.
“I love being close to home because then my family is right there and they can come see my games, which is important to me,” she said.
Bingham said the biggest jump she made in her high school career at Trinity was becoming a better leader and teammate. She said it was like a family on the Cougars’ team, and the experience she got playing in a state championship is unparalleled.
She believes her role at Mount St. Joseph will be similar to what it was at Trinity — an all-around pin hitter — but Bingham knows she’ll have to compete for her position, which is a challenge she welcomes.
She plans to hit the weight room hard this summer as she continues her club season, which will feature a trip to nationals in Phoenix at the end of April.
In addition to playing volleyball, Bingham plans to study business marketing and possibly minor in sports marketing.
She was very pleased to be done with the college recruiting process and is excited for her next chapter.
“I can go to volleyball courts and just play volleyball. I don’t have to text coaches which court I’ll be on,” Bingham said. “I’m really happy with my decision, and I love my school.”