The 2015 season came to an end for the Mathews Lady Blue Devils volleyball team when they suffered a 3-0 loss to the Auburn Eagles in a state semifinal match Tuesday evening.

The road to the state tournament was a long and tiring one for the Devils. The trip to Auburn was their fifth road trip in 13 days. They spent 30+ hours on the road, traveling over 1,700 miles. After defeating Cumberland County to win the Conference 42 title two weeks ago, Mathews returned to Cumberland for the first round of the regional tournament last Tuesday, winning three sets to none.

They then traveled to Rappahannock County last Thursday for a regional semifinal match. The Lady Devils defeated the Panther, 3-1, in an exciting and intense match. Rappahannock County took the first set, 25-18, before an enthusiastic and energetic home crowd.

Mathews, however, quickly turned the tide, taking control of the second set with an early 13-2 lead. MHS continued to dominate the set and eventually found themselves ...