NORMAL, Ill. – The Drake University women's tennis team had a great start to the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships Saturday at the Gregory Street Tennis Courts in Normal, Ill.
 
All three of the Bulldog doubles teams won to advance to the semifinals. Seniors Tess Herder and Summer Brills defeated Valpo's Vujanic/Wind, 8-5, in the Flight 1 doubles draw. Junior Kenya Williams and freshman Liza Petushkova blanked UNI's Proudfoot/Caro, 8-0, in Flight 2, while junior Joely Lomas and senior Mela Jaglarz beat Evansville's Kapelevich/Helpingstine 8-4 in Flight 3.
 
 
Drake had four Bulldogs advance in singles with Brills, Lomas, Petushkova and Williams all earning wins. Brills was leading Bradley's Natalia Barbery 6-4, 4-1 before Barbery retired in the Flight 2 singles draw. Lomas cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Bradley's Alexa Brandt in Flight 3, while Williams beat Missouri State's Alexia Meyer, 6-1, 6-4. Petushkova put together a dominating performance in Flight 5 with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Valpo's Jordan Kopfer.
 
The Bulldogs will continue play at the MVC Individual Championships on Sunday.