This time the Aberdeen Central volleyball team finished what it started.

After losing a two sets to one lead in a setback on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles overcame a rough stretch and recorded a 29-27, 18-25, 25-19, 25-18 non-conference victory over Rapid City Stevens at Golden Eagles Arena Thursday night.

“We just talked about pride, and how we want to play and how we want to finish things that we start,” said Central coach Jackie Bindenagel after her team erased a 10-5 deficit early in the fourth set. “In the locker room we talked about how it wasn’t perfect, but we kind of weathered the downs and then tried to ride pretty high on the ups, and it ended pretty well.”

The opening set was tight and Central needed five set points, but eventually came away with an extra-point victory. Stevens then pulled away from a 14-13 edge to level the match with a second-set win.

It was the Golden Eagles who took control in the third set, moving from a 12-11 lead to a 21-15 advantage.

It appeared the match might go five sets when the Raiders bolted out to a five-point lead in the fourth, but a young Central squad was up to the challenge, a difference from its season-opening match on Tuesday.

“I think we had nerves. It was our first match through the whole season,” said Central sophomore Lauryn Burckhard of the setback to Brookings. “We had lost so many seniors from last year and we had to regroup. We figured that out tonight. We showed it.”

When the Golden Eagles fell behind in the fourth to Stevens, they didn’t panic, they regrouped.

Burckhard said it came down to two things.

“Energy and communication. We came in our group and we just said we had to have more energy, talk to each other, and we had each other when we made mistakes,” Burckhard said.

Burckhard was a thorn in Stevens’ side the entire night, racking up 19 kills. On the rare occasions she was blocked, she remained aggressive and found a way around the block.

“It gets in my head at first,” Burckhard said, “but then I just realize I have to take a different route and figure it out, and I figured it out.”

Central was clinging to a 15-13 lead in the fourth set before Maddie Sandvig served back-to-back aces to fuel a 6-0 run to give the Golden Eagles the final push they needed.

“She served really well for us tonight,” Bindenagel said. “She probably led us in serving points. We’re still playing with the lineup. Karlie Nieman came in and did some nice things.”

Kenadi Withers added 11 kills, and Kamdyn Borge followed with 10.

While Central had a balanced effort, the Golden Eagles were able to hone in on the Stevens attack.

“They were a little bit one dimensional over there,” Bindenagel said, “and we were kind able to move our defense where they were hitting to, and it worked out.”

As a result, Central picked up an important win to help build the confidence of a squad that features some players with limited varsity experience.

“I’m really happy for the kids,” Bindenagel said. “I feel like their work for the past two weeks, they’ve been a little rewarded now with that win, and hopefully we can come out (Friday) and win another one.”

The Golden Eagles host Rapid City Central tonight for their third match in four days to start the season.

Burckhard said the players will be ready to go.

“We’re going to have the same energy that we have left,” Burckhard said. “We’re going to be tired by the end of the week, but we just got to show up and go out.”

Serving: Aberdeen Central 85-93 5 aces (Maddie Sandvig 26-27 2 aces, Alivia Miller 11-12 2 aces, Kamdyn Borge 13-15 1 ace).

Hitting: Aberdeen Central 119-142 47 kills (Lauryn Burckhard 35-43 19 kills, Kenadi Withers 27-34 11 kills, Borge 30-35 10 kills).

Setting: Aberdeen Central 125-125 39 assists (Miller 121-121 39 assists).

Digs: Aberdeen Central 62 (Taylin Kleffman 12, Sandvig 9, Withers 8, Borge 8, Miller 8).

Blocks: Aberdeen Central 5 solo 2 assists (Karlie Nieman 2 solo 1 assist, Burckhard 1 solo 1 assist, Withers 1 solo, Mya Arampatzis 1 solo).

Records: Rapid City Stevens 0-1; Aberdeen Central 1-1.