Ever since Ashley King took over the Newfield volleyball team in 2023, the Trojans have enjoyed quite a successful spell. During her first two seasons, the Trojans earned back-to-back runner-up honors in the Section IV Class D tournament. Last year, they competed in the IAC Small School Championship. They’ve earned their place in the postseason once again this year with an experienced roster.
The Trojans wrap up the regular season with an 11-3 record, with their only setbacks coming against Candor (twice) and Cazenovia. Even in those defeats, they’ve more than proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the local volleyball scene.
“I think we’ve continued to show that we’re a competitive program,” King said. “We’ve had a lot of consistency in our success and the work that the girls have put in… We’ve got a lot of talent across the court and we just keep trying to put the pieces together. I’m really proud of what this group has accomplished. I think we have the ability to compete with anybody when we’re playing our best volleyball.”
Experience has undoubtedly helped the Trojans thrive this year. They returned seven of the 10 players they had last year—including four of their five IAC All-Star selections—and added two newcomers. Combine that with eight of their nine players being upperclassmen, it’s no surprise that such a seasoned team has flourished.
“I think it shows a lot of commitment to the program and the culture we’re building,” King said. “They have a lot of experience with both court dynamics and team dynamics. I think their different personalities and different strengths really just show a lot of growth in our team. Their volleyball IQ and overall team dynamic has been really cool to watch grow over the years, and really I feel like it’s come to sort of a pinnacle this year. It’s been really cool.”
Another of one of the Trojans’ biggest strengths is their depth in attack. They can rely on multiple hitters to finish off plays. Juniors Kate Chaffee and Taylor Frisbie have shined in that regard along with fellow junior and first-year varsity player Ezra Sybert.
“Kate is an extremely smart player,” King said. “She is a huge contributor on offense. She can put the ball wherever she wants and she typically knows where to put it. She’s so coachable, overall just a genius in my opinion… Taylor has such a fire in her to attack. I find it to be rare, but it’s really great to have on the team someone who’s fired up ready to swing. Taylor’s hungry for the ball and she wants to put it away.”
Pulling the strings together on offense is senior setter Paige Bassi. Along with Chaffee, Bassi’s first year on varsity was also King’s first year as head coach. Over the past few years, King has seen firsthand how she has grown as a floor general.
“Paige is really the quarterback of our offense,” King said. “She is very intelligent, very high volleyball IQ. She makes decisions very quickly and she’s also reading the other side of the net to make our hitters successful. She brings a lot of valuable experience, obviously. But she really is such a leader running the offense. She really reads her teammates well, and she knows what they need to be successful whether it’s a good set or encouragement. She’s super valuable both with her skill and her leadership.”
Over on defense, senior libero Payton Bevins has been an invaluable piece to the puzzle. She too has displayed a strong sense of leadership to ensure her final year playing high school volleyball is a memorable one.
“Peyton has incredible passing skills,” King said. “She’s excellent and composed on serve-receive defensively. You have to be vocal with your team on defense, and Peyton has been extremely vocal and just such a leader on the court. In tough games, it’s easy to get quiet and worked up, but Peyton keeps the talking going and leads that way from behind and communicates with her attackers but also talks about what’s going on the other side.”
The Trojans’ other new player is junior Amelia Martin, who has helped Bevins out defensively. The other players rounding out the roster are senior Kylee Green, junior Kalli Brazo and sophomore Samantha White.
Trojans will face an all-too familiar foe in the IAC Small School Championship on October 30 at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Candor beat Newfield in last year’s championship and will likely play them again in sectionals. The Trojans are hoping this year could be the year to unseat the Coyotes from the top of the pack.
“Volleyball is a huge game of momentum, and the ability to reset and move on to the next point is huge,” King said. “I think we just need to work on trusting ourselves in each other, especially in these high-pressure moments. Other than that, I feel like we’ve got the weapons. We’ve got the skill. Our biggest barrier will probably be the mental game.”
