The Basics
Drake will be on the road for the second straight weekend to start their 2025 spring slate. The Bulldogs are set for a double-header at Arkansas on Saturday, Feb. 1 with a chance to pick up their first team win in upset fashion.
Bulldog Breakdown
New Drake head coach
Calvin 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. Song also returns
Nicole Lee and
Elizabete Klavinska, two key contributors from previous Drake teams.
The Bulldogs began their spring season last weekend with a trip to Kansas State. Drake got beat 7-0 and 4-0 in two matches but were still able to secure a weekly conference award.
Lee and Caldicott teamed up in the No. 2 doubles position to take down K-State's Tereza Polakova and Zali Morris for Drake's only win of the day. That victory earned the duo the first Missouri Valley Conference Doubles Team of the Week award.
Scouting the Competition
Arkansas had an average season overall last year with a 12-12 mark. The Razorbacks went 5-8 in SEC action last season and are looking to improve upon those standards this year.
Arkansas is currently 1-1 overall after splitting their opening weekend in Stillwater, Okla. The Razorbacks opened their campaign with a 4-3 win over SMU before falling to the hosts from Oklahoma State, 4-1.
Carolina Gomez leads the Arkansas singles effort in the No. 1 spot as a top 75 player in the country. She is the only player on the Razorbacks' roster to win both of their matches to start the year. Gomez also partnered with Olga Bienzobas to earn a doubles victory against Oklahoma State for the Razorbacks' only doubles win thus far.
Up Next
Drake will return home for four straight matches at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The Bulldogs will kick off their homestand with a Friday evening tilt vs. DePaul (Feb. 7) before battling former MVC rival Creighton (Feb. 8).
