纽菲尔德的排球在新教练的带领下进步很大

说到汤普金斯县的排球, 兰辛 and Trumansburg are always at the top of the pack for their winning pedigrees, 哪有 本季继续. But the most improved team in the area is 新field by far.

The Trojans are quietly putting together an impressive campaign, currently 6-4. This is a stark contrast to a two-win 2022 season and just three wins in 2021. This turnaround has taken place under first-year head coach Ashley King, 上个赛季他们的助理教练是谁. King shared what has gone right for the Trojans to excel this season.

“I think we have definitely tried a lot of new things and moved some people around, 这对我们来说真的很有用,金说. “I think they put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it’s really showing this year. I just think there’s been a new aspect of team unity this year. That’s really made the difference for us [in] the way they work together as a team, 今年球队的化学反应非常好.”

Another big difference is that the Trojans are a more experienced team. 在名单上的十名球员中，有九名是高年级学生. King has noticed how the seniors in particular have stepped up in multiple ways.

“Coming from no seniors last year, I think we saw what we did wrong last year,金说. “我认为去年那些三年级学生现在已经是四年级学生了, they’ve really taken a leadership role and defined what needs to happen. 今年, 我们所有的队长都是年长者, and so they’ve done a really good job of not only doing what they need to do to win games, 但同时也很好地领导了球队.”

米娜·托马斯是他们的高级队长之一. The outside hitter was an IAC First Team All-Star selection last season and was also a team captain. She has carried over her excellent play from 2022 into her final year with the Trojans.

“米娜是一名令人惊叹的全能球员，”金说. “她可以很好地通过. 去年她是二传手，但今年她打得很好, and I think her stats will show that hitting is where she’s supposed to be. 米娜每场比赛都有很多击杀. 她是个领袖. 她只是个聪明的球员. She plays year-round, and it’s very obvious when you see her on the court. 当她得到一个完美的组合，游戏就结束了. 她会得分的. 米娜今年是我们队的一笔巨大财富.”

Teeing Thomas up for a multitude of kills is the lone underclassman on the team, Paige Bassi. The freshman is the Trojans’ only setter, but she has thrived in her first year at the varsity level.

“Paige is one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever met,金说. “She puts in so much time during the season and offseason. Paige is very composed during the games, and she will go for anything. She’s very composed not only as a setter, but as a server. She’s one of our strongest servers and just an all-around player. 她要努力去参加每个舞会. 她的电视机总是开着. Paige is one of our most consistent players as a ninth grader.”

新field’s only losses have come to Spencer-Van Etten and Candor, the latter of which is only a few years removed from a Class D state title. 特洛伊人在失败的情况下依然顽强战斗, even winning a set against the Coyotes in their most recent meeting. King said it will only make them better heading into the postseason.

“希望我们能在分组赛上吓到他们一点, but we always end up playing really well against Candor just because they are such a by-the-book team,金说. “I think the level of play ultimately helps us prepare for what we’re going to see in sectional play this year, 所以我们希望能再次见到他们.”

One of 新field’s goals heading into the season was to qualify for the Section IV Class D tournament, 他们已经做到了什么. While there are still a couple more regular season matches, the Trojans will look to continue building confidence and a winning culture for the rest of this season and for years to come.

“我们最初的目标是进入分组赛，我们做到了, so our goal with the rest of our regular season games is to win those and hopefully have an option to have a home sectional game,金说. “因为我们去年没赢多少, us fighting for a win against tough teams is just getting that endurance to continue. We’ve played very few games that have been more than three sets, and so I think we’re just going to need to start to develop that game endurance so that we can compete in the sectional tournament.”

新field wraps up the regular season on the road with trips to Groton on October 18 and Union Springs on October 20.