The Basics
Drake is back home at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 3 to kickoff Summit League play against North Dakota. This match is one of seven remaining for the Bulldogs, with all five Summit League opponents on the schedule.
 
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake is 3-7 on the season coming into play. The Bulldogs faced talented teams in the bulk of their non-conference slate, and look to rebound from a five-game losing streak against a Summit League opponent on Sunday. Drake's three wins have come over Saint Louis, Grand View and Marquette.
 
Individual Bulldogs shined throughout non-conference play: Ben Johnson and Will Ecklund were twice named the Summit League Doubles Peak Team of the Week, and Ecklund won a Singles Player of the Week award. Johnson and Ecklund won their previous doubles match 6-0 against Xavier and will look to stay hot this weekend. Christian Winstead got a crack at the top singles court last weekend at Xavier and won in straight sets, so he'll look to stay hot as well.
 
Scouting the Competition
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are 8-3 on the season. Last weekend, they played Marquette twice and won 4-3 and 4-2. When Drake played Marquette, the Bulldogs won 4-3. Earlier in the season, North Dakota went on a rough stretch playing in Montana and Hawaii. They lost to Montana on Jan. 25 and lost to Hawaii Pacific and Hawaii on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Since then, they've won five in a row.
 
The Fighting Hawks have rotated between seniors Ange-Kevin Koua and Leandro Zgraggen on the No. 1 singles court. Both are returning players from last year's team. On Feb. 18. the Summit League announced that North Dakota duo Andrew Hayduke II and Leo Galliano won the Doubles Peak Team of the Week after a 2-0 weekend in matches against Bellarmine.
 
Drake is 8-0 all-time against North Dakota in matches dating back to 2013.
 
Up Next
Drake will hop back into non-conference play on March. 20 against Austin Peay in St. Louis, Missouri, before traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a match against Oral Roberts on Mar. 22.