The Drake University women's tennis team opened its 2021-22 season with 11 victories on the first day of the Drake Invite Friday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
 
The defending Missouri Valley Conference champions welcomed eight other teams to the courts for the season opening win. 
 
In singles action, five Bulldogs advanced through the first day of competition of the four-flight event.
 
In Flight 1, Drake's Daria Walczak defeated Augustana's Florentia Hadjigeorgiou, 6-1, 6-2. The second flight saw newcomer Mille Haagensen best South Dakota's Beata Havlickova, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to Saturday's action. 
 
Darinka Stepan also advanced, defeating her Flight 3 opponent, Sonia Skobkareva of South Dakota, 6-3, 6-3. The Bulldogs had a pair of first-round winners in Flight 4 from Kendall Hunt and newcomer Yana Gaskell. Hunt downed Omaha's Justine Linscott, 5-7, 6-2 [10-7] and Gaskell defeated UNI's Issa Sullivan, 5-7, 6-3 [10-2].
 
Doubles teams played two matches on the opening day with the Bulldogs winning five first-round matches. However, the tandem of Haagensen and Stepan was the only team to advance to Sunday's finals. The pair opened up the day by besting Upper Iowa, 8-3, and then taking down a duo from Augustana, 8-3.
 
Competition in the three-day event resumes Saturday morning as the Bulldogs aim to advance more competitors to the finals round.
 
Singles
Flight 1
Daria Walczak (Drake) def. Florentia Hadjigeorgiou (AUG), 6-1, 6-2
Sarah Wilcox (Creighton) def. Liza Petushkova (Drake,) 3-6, 6-1 [10-5]
 
Flight 2
Mille Haagensen (Drake) def. Beata Havlickova (USD), 6-2, 6-3
Samantha Alicea (Nebraska) def. Ines Stephani (Drake), 6-0, 6-3
 
Flight 3
Allice Ochotorena (North Dakota) def. Rebecca Ehn (Drake), 6-3, 6-4
Darinka Stephan (Drake) def. Sonia Skobkareva (USD), 6-3, 6-3
Valerie Negin (Creighton) def. Kelsey Neville (Drake), 6-4, 6-2
 
Flight 4
Kendall Hunt (Drake) def. Justine Linscott (Omaha), 5-7, 6-2 [10-7]
Yana Gaskell (Drake) def. Issa Sullivan (UNI), 5-7, 6-3 [10-2]
 
Doubles
Flight 1
Petushkova/Ehn (Drake) def. Monko/Hadjigeorgiou (AUG), 8-7 (7)
Krueger/Shukla (Creighton) def. Petushkova/Ehn (Drake), 8-3
 
Flight 2
Stephani/Neville (Drake) def. Moreira/Brkic (UNI), 8-0
Wilcox/Nevin (Creighton) def. Stephani/Neville (Drake), 8-3
 
Flight 3
Haagensen/Stepan (Drake) def. Michieli/Grammatikaki (UIU), 8-3
Walczak/Lee (Drake) def. Skobkareva/Girbau (USD), 8-2
Haagensen/Stepan (Drake) def. Kistanova/Granson (AUG), 8-3
Kongara/Gener (Creighton) def. Walczak/Lee (Drake), 8-4
 
Flight 4
Hunt/Gaskell (Drake) def. Linscott/Tiemeyer (Omaha), 8-7 (4), 
Cardoso/Sullivan (UNI) def. Hunt/Gaskell (Drake), 8-5