The Basics
The Bulldogs are slated to host the Creighton Blue Jays on Saturday, February 3 at 2 p.m. for a match at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The duel against Creighton marks the third consecutive weekend the Bulldogs have played at home.
Head Coach Ben Lott on the Match
"The team is excited to welcome Creighton this weekend. Competing against a team that is geographically close to us always adds an extra layer to the match. We have had a good week of practice that has allowed us to work on some areas that were identified from the previous weekend. Every match is a great opportunity for us to continue to develop and be in the best shape possible going into the conference season in March / April."
Bulldogs by the Numbers
The Bulldogs home stand thus far has resulted in a 4-1 record. Last weekend, Drake had two matches on Sunday and split, losing to Old Dominion 0-7 and defeating Luther 7-0.
Despite the loss to Old Dominion,
Matija Matic and
Oliver Johansson notched an impressive doubles win against Connor van Schalkwyk and Codie van Schalkwyk, who were ranked number six in the ITA doubles rankings. Matic and Johansson's hard-fought win improved their record to an immaculate 4-0 mark in the young season. In the match against Luther,
Matt Clegg, competing in the number one singles slot, defeated ITA All-American Luke Westholder. Drake won every doubles and singles match against Luther, and every singles win was in straight sets.
Scouting the Competition
The Bluejays are 4-2 this year, boasting a similar record to Drake, yet playing most of their matches on the road. Creighton has played four road matches this year and settled at a 2-2 record. Their most recent trip was to Chicago, Illinois, where they secured a 6-1 win against Chicago State and a 4-3 win against DePaul. Both of Creighton's losses came on the road to Nebraska.
Last season, Creighton went 13-7 in a highly successful year. The Blue Jays advanced to the Big East Championship semifinals for the first time in program history following a 4-1 rout of Villanova. Their season ended in the semifinal round with a 1-4 loss to Butler.
A Creighton doubles duo to look out for is Matthew Lanahan and Alejandro Gandini. The Bluejay tandem advanced to the Round of 16 in the ITA National Fall Championship. Their run came to a halt in the Round of 16 at the hands of a TCU contingent, but the two impressed in Creighton's first appearance in the ITA National Fall Championship.
Drake is 13-0 against Creighton in all-time play. Most recently, Creighton traveled to Drake in 2023 and was defeated 7-0. This Saturday showdown will mark the fourth year in a row that Drake hosts Creighton, with Drake looking to maintain its stellar record against the Bluejays.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will embark on their first road journey of the season and head to Bloomington, Indiana to play against Indiana University on February 9 at 5 p.m. Drake will then travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to square off against Purdue on February 10 at 5 p.m.
