The Basics
Drake women's tennis will begin its 2025 slate with a true road match at Kansas State on Saturday, Jan. 25. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will get things going at 12 p.m. in Manhattan.
Head Coach Calvin Song's Outlook
"We're facing a great team in the Big 12 Conference and I'm excited to see how we compete this spring. We have a very young and new team, but our chemistry has been outstanding on and off the court. We have been working hard for these moments, no matter what colors we are facing, we'll be ready for the challenge. Having these opportunities in the beginning of the season will prepare us for the Missouri Valley Conference."
Bulldog Roster Breakdown
2024-25 marks a new era for Bulldog women's tennis with the introduction of head coach
Calvin Song. A native of central Iowa, Song came to Drake after a year as an assistant coach at West Virginia. Prior to his short stint in Morgantown, Song was an assistant on staff at Fresno State and previously held volunteer coaching roles at Wake Forest and Iowa.
Last season, Drake went 8-13 overall and 4-4 in conference action. Their season ended in the first round of the MVC Championships with a 4-3 loss against No. 4 seed Belmont. The Drake women, who represented the MVC in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, overhauled their roster after losing five key contributors to either graduation or transfer. Senior
Nicole Lee and junior
Elizabete Klavinska are the only two returners for Song and the Bulldogs.
Coach Song added a handful of young newcomers to the roster. The first-year Bulldogs include sophomore
Laura Koralnik, a transfer from Buffalo, plus four freshmen in
Jessica Popiol of Bartlett, Ill., and
Jana Ruzic,
Shiori Takeda, and
Tess Caldicott, all of whom hail from Australia.
Scouting the Competition
Kansas State is looking to improve upon its records of 12-12 overall and 4-9 in Big 12 Conference play last season. K-State owns an 8-0 all-time record against Drake including a 6-1 decision last year. The first matchup between the teams took place in 2005.
The Wildcats began their spring season with the Duel in the Desert in Indian Wells, Calif. last weekend. K-State went 12-8 in singles matches and 4-5 in doubles against Iowa State, Arkansas, and Kansas. Sophomores Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Charlotte Keitel won in doubles action while Veronika Kulhava and Maria Santos both went undefeated individually.
Up Next
A non-conference double-header is on deck for the Dogs. Drake will head to Fayetteville, Ark. for a two-for-one weekend at Arkansas on Feb. 1.
