Huron volleyball postseason Sweet 16 game
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HURON — Win and you’re in. End up on the short end of the score and you’re packing up the uniforms, taking a couple weeks off and beginning preparations for next year.
That is Class “AA” volleyball in the Sweet 16 era.
The Huron Tigers open postseason action tonight at Huron Arena, when they host the Sioux Falls Roosevelt Rough Riders in what has to be termed a ‘play-in’ game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Huron Arena.
Huron ended the season with a record of 13-10 and the overall sixth highest power point average in Class “AA.” Roosevelt ended with a regular season mark of 12-19, and own the No. 11 seed.
A victory propels the winner into the Class “AA” State Tournament, which begins on Nov. 16 in Rapid City. No more district matchup or regional second chances.
“The regular season is over,” said Shelly Buddenhagen, Huron High School’s volleyball head coach. “It’s the post season and everybody is 0-0. The slate is clean.”
The Tigers and Rough Riders collided back in August at the Huron Invitational. With nearly a full season in between matches, what does Buddenhagen take from that earlier meeting to help tonight?
“Honestly, not much of anything,” she said with a chuckle. “That was so long ago that both teams have gone through so many changes since then. What’s most important is what has happened the past couple of weeks.”
Roosevelt has won four of its last five games, but had lost 10 of its previous 11 matches. Huron ended the season on a two-game winning streak, including a five-set win last Saturday over No. 2 seed Mitchell at the Corn Palace. Before that, the Tigers had dropped two matches, one of them a four-set loss to top-seeded Harrisburg.
Photos:
Under the watchful eye of coach Shelly Buddenhagen, Huron’s Carli Lentsch makes a kill attempt during the Huron Ivitational Tournament earlier this season.
Photo by Angelina Della Rocco/plainsman file
Next, Huron Tiger Tenley Buddenhagen, center, splits the defense of Brooklyn Kusler, left and Lexi LaFave, right, of Aberdeen Central, during a match in September in Aberdeen.
Photo by John Davis/Aberdeen American News