The Basics
The Bulldogs are set to hit the road for the first time in 2024 with a match against Indiana University on Friday, Feb. 9 at 4 p.m. (CT). Their Indiana tour will continue on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. (CT) against Purdue. 
 
Bulldogs by the Numbers
After three weeks of home matches, the Bulldogs embark on their road journey with a 5-1 record. Most recently, Drake defeated Creighton 4-3 in a tight match that came down to the final singles contest. Markus Bolin secured the deciding point of the match to deliver the Bulldogs victory.
 
Matija Matic and Oliver Johansson went to a tie-break set in their doubles match against Creighton but pulled away with a 7-6 victory. Their narrow victory improved their doubles record to 5-0 this season, competing in the number one doubles slot for the Bulldogs.
 
Drake is 25-11 in singles through their first six contests. Bolin has impressed for the Bulldogs with a 5-1 record in singles play. Olle Sonesson Lidholt missed the first three matches with an injury but has won his first two singles matches since returning. Against Creighton, Sonesson Lidholt won 6-0 and 6-0 in straight sets.
 
Scouting the Competition
Indiana is 6-2 on the season and 6-0 at home. The match versus Drake will be the fifth consecutive match the Hoosiers host.
 
Indiana's Michael Andre and Nikola Kolyachev will pose strong threats to the Bulldogs. Andre and Kolyachev have excelled in singles play, each holding 6-1 records. To rival Matic and Johansson, the Hoosiers have an undefeated doubles duo, as Luc Boulier and Facundo Yunis have an unblemished 4-0 record.
 
Drake will look to add to a 3-1 historical record over Indiana. Most recently in 2020, Drake traveled to Bloomington and was defeated 7-0 in Hoosier territory.
 
The Purdue Boilermakers are 2-5 in the Spring. They'll enter the weekend with a three-game losing streak, having dropped their most recent matches to Yale, Dartmouth and Denver.
 
DePaul transfer Marino Jakic will compete in the top singles slot against Drake. The Croatia native was the 2022 Big East Freshman of the Year before coming to Purdue. Marino dropped his most recent singles match in the loss to Yale.
 
Drake is 3-3 in the all-time series against Purdue. Since 2016, Drake and Purdue have frequently squared off in non-conference affairs. Their most recent meeting was in 2023, where Purdue lost 7-0 in Des Moines. Drake's 7-0 defeat of Purdue is an outlier compared to the other matches between these schools, as the two typically play each other closely.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will remain on the road and travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a mid-week contest against the University of Arkansas. The match will occur on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 5:00 p.m.