The Mathews High School varsity and JV volleyball teams kicked off their regular season on Tuesday on the road against Northumberland. Results were not available at press time.

With only 12 players on varsity, and an even smaller number (nine) on the JV squad, the ladies are putting in the work. Both teams practice every day on weekdays, with some staying after practices to do extra work.

Coach Pat Moughon has returned to coach the varsity girls, with Sarah Brown as her assistant. Moughon has been coaching the MHS volleyball program since 1999, leading the Devils to state titles in 2011, 2012 and 2017. Brown was a setter on that last state championship team.

Seniors on this year’s team include sisters Olivia and Sarah Ashbaugh, Chelsea Lowe, Macy Johnson and Reese Brock. Olivia and Sarah Ashbaugh and junior setter Autumn Jenkins are team captains.

Other juniors on the team include Chloe Schaible, Whitney Stewart and Lily Jarosz. Sophomores Kristin Blake and Lindsay Coons and freshman Anna West round out the roster, with this year’s team setting a goal of making it to the regional tournament.

The small JV team is full of enthusiastic players and even a new coach, Taylor Kostyal. The squad includes two sophomores—Lorena Carballo and Hailey Denkinger, freshmen Emily Coons, Addison Lowe, Hannah Davis, Shelby Ray and Ellie Congrove, and eighth graders Addison Griffith and Harmony Smith. The tiny team is working hard to improve, and the girls are playing it extra smart this season, since there is no room for someone to get hurt.

A statistician and a person to keep the scorebook are needed as soon as possible to help the team. Tonight is the first home game of the season, with the JV team taking on Rappahannock at 5:30, with the varsity contest immediately after. On Saturday, the MHS varsity girls host their annual Jamboree, starting at 9 a.m. The five usual teams—Mathews, Gloucester, Menchville, Warwick and Woodside—will be there to compete in a two-set game to 25.