Huron has claimed the upper hand in eight straight volleyball meetings against Aberdeen Central.

Thursday would mark an ideal opportunity for the Golden Eagles to snap that streak.

Central (13-12) heads to Huron for a Class AA SoDak 16 match-up with the Tigers (17-9) with a trip to the state tournament on the line. The Golden Eagles have made just one state tournament appearance since 2017 and have not beaten Huron since the 2018 season.

“I’m OK with the draw,” said Central coach Jackie Bindenagel. “I think the kids are OK with the draw, too. Really, it doesn’t matter who you play, you just have to play well.”

Huron has won both of the regular season meetings between the two teams this season, though neither was a runaway victory. 

The match in Huron was a 5-set affair, while the second meeting went down as a sweep, though Central had the lead late in all three sets.

“Some things just didn’t go our way at all the wrong times,” Bindenagel said.

The match-up also harkens back to the old district groupings with Central and Huron doing battle on a regular basis for state tournament berths.

No member of the Golden Eagle squad was playing the last time Central was victorious over Huron.

“Our kids are thinking about that,” Bindenagel said. “The seniors were eighth graders the last time we beat them. It was in Huron. We’ve had a few 5-setters since then.”

Thursday’s match is set for 7 p.m. at the Huron Arena.