DES MOINES, Iowa -- Drake men's tennis opened their spring campaign with a three-game home stand, welcoming Washburn, Northern Illinois and William Woods to Des Moines. The Bulldogs fiercely defended their home courts, earning commanding victories against all three opponents.
 
"The team deserves a huge amount of credit for how they battled this weekend," head coach Ben Lott said. "Several players had to fight through injuries and as a group we stepped up and took care of business. This weekend has set us up great for the remainder of the season."
 
Drake 4, Washburn 1
Drake opened the weekend on Saturday, Jan. 20 with a 4-1 victory over Washburn, showing no rust to begin the spring season. The duo of Oliver Johansson and Matija Matic kicked off the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Tim Hammes and Santiago Rendon. Markus Bolin and Jeremy Schifris secured a swift 6-2 victory. As a result of quick Bulldog success, Matt Clegg and Ben Johnson's match was abandoned at a 4-4 score.
 
Schifris, Matic and Bolin secured singles victories in the winning effort. Schifris, named Drake's Preseason Athlete to Watch, went back and forth with Washburn's Sebastian Pjontek, trading victories in the first two sets. Schifris dominated Pjontek in the deciding third set, winning 6-1. Similarly to Schifris, Matic and Washburn's Tim Hammes, a 2023 Division II ITA All-American, stretched their match to the third set; Matic won the first set 6-2 but Hammes battled back with a 6-3 win in the second set. Matic pulled through in the final set with a 6-1 win. Bolin defeated Pavlos Parson in straight sets, winning by 6-4 and 7-5 decisions. Clegg and Aaron Dawson's singles matches were abandoned.
 
Drake 6, Northern Illinois 1
After a brief hiatus, Drake returned to the Roger Knapp Tennis Center later that day and notched their second victory; the Bulldogs defeated Northern Illinois by a commanding 6-1 decision. The tandem of Johansson and Matic won another doubles match, this time in a tiebreaker with a final score of 7-6. Matt Clegg and newcomer Ben Johnson won their doubles match 6-4.
 
Drake won five out of six singles matches against Northern Illinois. Schifris went to three sets against Cheng En Tsai and won 7-5 in the final set. Johansson battled against Mikael Vollbach, winning the first set in a 7-6 tiebreaker and losing the second set by a 4-6 margin. Johansson broke through in the final set for a 6-2 win. Clegg also went to three sets against his opponent and won the third set 6-4. Like his teammates, Bolin battled to three sets against Armin Koschtojan and clutched up to win 6-2 in the final match. Competing in the number six singles slot, Johnson won his sets 6-1 and 6-2, earning his first Drake singles win in straight sets.
 
Drake 7, William Woods 0
Drake completed the weekend sweep with a 7-0 shutout of William Woods on Sunday, January 21. The showdown began with two Bulldog doubles wins. Matic and Johansson concluded their doubles weekend with a pristine 3-0 record, defeating William Woods' Vaclav Schneider and Vitek Subert 6-4. The freshman duo Johnson and Dawson won their doubles match 6-3.
 
Matic capped off his weekend with a singles victory in straight sets against the ITA NAIA All-American Vaclav Schneider. Johansson defeated Zinovii Nahirniak 6-4 and 6-3 to win in straight sets and complete his undefeated weekend. Bolin commanded his match, winning 6-4 and 6-1 to defeat Ben Grumley. After losing his first set 3-6, Dawson battled back to win consecutive sets 6-0 and 6-4. In an intense match, Ecklund battled against Andres De Los Kolejewska into a third-set tie-break, where Ecklund came out victorious. Johnson completed his impressive debut weekend with another victory in straight sets, with 6-2 and 6-4 victories.
 
Drake will remain in Des Moines hosting Old Dominion and Luther on Sunday, Jan. 28.
 
Results vs. Washburn

• Oliver Johansson and Matija Matic (DU) defeated Tim Hammes and Santiago Rendon (WU) 6-3
• Matt Clegg and Ben Johnson (DU) vs Daniel Bird and Sebastian Pjontek (WU) was abandoned
• Markus Bolin and Jeremy Schifris (DU) defeated Matthew Earle and Pavlos Parson (WU) 6-2
• Jeremy Schifris (DU) defeated Sebastian Pjontek (WU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
• Matija Matic (DU) defeated Tim Hammes (WU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
• Matt Clegg (DU) vs Santiago Rendon (WU) was abandoned
• Markus Bolin (DU) defeated Pavlos Parson (WU) 6-4, 7-5
• Aaron Dawson (DU) vs Daniel Bird (WU) was abandoned
• Tommaso Cecchetti (WU) defeated Will Ecklund (DU) 6-2, 7-5

Results vs. Northern Illinois

• Oliver Johansson and Matija Matic (DU) defeated Cheng En Tsai and Mikael Vollbach (NIU) 7-6
• Matt Clegg and Ben Johnson (DU) defeated Armin Koschtojan and Saul Berdullas (NIU) 6-4
• Sam Klein and Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (NIU) defeated Jeremy Schifris and Markus Bolin (DU) 6-3
• Jeremy Schifris (DU) defeated Cheng En Tsai (NIU) 6-7, 6-0, 7-5
• Oliver Johansson (DU) defeated Mikael Vollbach (NIU) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
• Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (NIU) defeated Matija Matic (DU) 6-1, 6-4
• Matt Clegg (DU) defeated Saul Berdullas (NIU) 5-7, 7-6, 6-6
• Markus Bolin (DU) defeated Armin Koschtojan (NIU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
• Ben Johnson (DU) defeated Sam Klein (NIU) 6-1, 6-2

Results vs. William Woods

• Zinovii Nahirniak and Ben Grumley (WWU) defeated Markus Bolin and Will Ecklund (DU) 6-2
• Oliver Johansson and Matija Matic (DU) defeated Vaclav Schneider and Vitek Subert (WWU) 6-4
• Ben Johnson and Aaron Dawson (DU) defeated Andres De Los Rios Kolejewska and Felix Diedrichs (WWU) 6-3
• Matija Matic (DU) defeated Vaclav Schneider (WWU) 6-3, 6-2
• Oliver Johansson (DU) defeated Zinovii Nahirniak (WWU) 6-4, 6-3
• Markus Bolin (DU) defeated Ben Grumley (WWU) 6-4, 6-1
• Aaron Dawson (DU) defeated Stepan Mach (WWU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
• Will Ecklund (DU) defeated Andres De Los Kolejewska (WWU) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (8)
• Ben Johnson (DU) defeated Vitek Subert (WWU) 6-2, 6-4