Third-seeded Rockhurst (Mo.) cruised to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-20) victory over sixth-seeded Carson-Newman (Tenn.) in the opening match of the day.
 
The Hawks trailed 6-5 in the opening set before scoring seven straight points to touch off a 19-6 set-ending burst.
 
"The first set was a little easier than we thought it would be," Rockhurst coach Tracy Rietzke said. "But you always know as a coach that the second and third sets are going to be more difficult. They played harder and better."
 
Karli Reichert led Rockhurst (33-7) with nine kills while also adding two blocks, and Alyssa Woodman had eight kills. Mary Rolf had five kills on .625 hitting, and Justice Wingate had four blocks. Setter Dani Prusha had four kills while also handing out 26 assists and getting a team-high 11 digs. Rockhurst hit .300 in the first set and .217 overall.
 
Erin Edwards led Carson-Newman (28-8) with nine kills, while Kendall Cooley and Marnie Streeter each had seven. Katie Parnell had six blocks. After hitting -.034 in the first set, Carson-Newman rallied to finish at .079.
 
"It's been an exciting journey," Carson-Newman coach Ashley Tiernan said. "We set out to get here, and we did. We made a lot of errors that we don't normally make. But it's not about that. It's about this group of women who have become close friends and stuck together and battled. Their spirits are high and they had a great experience."
 
No. 19 Rockhurst advanced to a semifinal matchup Friday against the winner of another first-round match between Nebraska-Kearney and Gannon (Pa.).