Eighth-ranked Rockhurst defeated Pittsburg State in three sets  (25-19, 25-18, 25-17) Tuesday night at Mason-Halpin Field House. The Hawks played a clean match, maintaining a .376 hitting percentage.

It was a balanced scoring night for Rockhurst, with four Hawks recording double-digit kills. Alyssa Woodman led the way with 13 kills, followed by Emily Matio's 11. Karli Reichert and Mary Rolf added 10 kills each.

Dani Prusha set up Hawks hitters all night, recording 40 assists. Senior libero Kalie Arnold had a team-high 21 digs.

Set One: Rockhurst 25, Pitt State 19
The Hawks threw the first punch, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. The Gorillas fought back, trimming an 18-10 Rockhurst lead to three at 21-18, but the Hawks would score four of the next five points to win the set.
 
Set Two: Rockhurst 25, Pitt State 18
The second set was tight early, even at 8-all before a 6-1 run propelled the Hawks ahead 14-9. PSU pulled back within four at 22-18, but three straight Rockhurst points to close the set put the home team up 2-0 in the match.
 
Set Three: Rockhurst 25, Pitt State 17
Rockhurst set the tone in the third set, opening up an 8-3 lead. A 3-0 run upped the advantage to 17-9, and the Hawks maintained that eight-point margin to close out the match.

Coach Tracy Rietzke was complimentary of the Hawks' overall effort. "Our middle hitters played really well," he said.

Player of the Match
Emily Matio. The senior from Fishers, Indiana boosted the Hawks with 11 kills and four blocks. Her .588 hitting percentage was a microcosm of the Hawks' fundamentally sound play.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Rockhurst passed the ball well, tallying 47 assists to Pitt State's 23.
• The Hawks also had a sizable advantage in digs, 48-31.

On Deck
The 8-1 Hawks travel to Rolla on Friday (Sept. 7) to take on Missouri S&T at 7:00 p.m.