NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Drake women's tennis opened their 2025 conference schedule on Sunday with a road match at Belmont. The Bulldogs got off on the right foot with the doubles point but could not match the Bruins' dominance in singles play. Belmont won the match, 6-1.
 
Drake (3-10, 0-1) earned the doubles point thanks to wins in the No. 3 and No. 2 positions. Jana Ruzic and Shiori Takeda teamed up for their 6-1 victory over Belmont's Aly Getty and Libbie Hamilton. The Bruins (3-11, 2-0) then evened the doubles tally at No. 1 before Tess Caldicott and Nicole Lee sealed it. Caldicott and Lee took down Sarah McElrath and Anastasi Zholdakova 6-4 to give the Dogs a 1-0 advantage in the match.
 
The Bulldogs could not continue their momentum into singles play. The host Bruins controlled most of remaining tennis, but Drake did not go down without pushing back. Klavinska, Caldicott, and Ruzic all took their bouts into the third set but came out on the losing end.
 
Drake has two more road matches coming up with a trip to Bradley on Mar. 29 and a tilt at Illinois State on Mar. 30.
 
Doubles Results vs. Belmont
1. Viktoria Kliimand/Hana Sokolovic (BEL) def. Elizabete Klavinska/Jessica Popiol (DU) 6-2
2. Tess Caldicott/Nicole Lee (DU) def. Sarah McElrath/Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) 6-4
3. Jana Ruzic/Shiori Takeda (DU) def. Aly Getty/Libbie Hamilton (BEL) 6-1
 
Singles Results vs. Belmont
1. Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) def. Jessica Popiol (DU) 6-1, 6-3
2. Viktoria Kliimand (BEL) def. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6
3. Hana Sokolovic (BEL) def. Shiori Takeda (DU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Libbie Hamilton (BEL) def. Tess Caldicott (DU) 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
5. Aly Getty (BEL) def. Jana Ruzic (DU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Sarah McElrath (BEL) def. Nicole Lee (DU) 6-4, 6-2