Credit: Grace Zocco

During a game against Brookline High School, players circle to celebrate senior captain Finn Bell’s ace.

On Friday, April 10, the boys varsity volleyball team (5-1) faced the undefeated Westfield Bombers (6-0) in a rematch of the 2024 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division II state championship and 2025 Division II state semifinals. In 2024, the Warriors were reverse swept in heartbreaking fashion. In 2025, Wayland got it’s revenge, defeating the Bombers to advance back to the state championship.

After losing a five-set opener to Brookline (ranked No.1 in Division I), the Warriors won five straight matches, dropping only one set. Westfield, meanwhile, was coming off a five-set victory over Agawam, the undefeated 2025 state champion. Wayland, Westfield and Agawam are among the top contenders for this year’s Division II state title.

Set one:

Westfield started off hot with a 5-2 lead, but Wayland quickly answered, scoring four out of five points to reach a 6-6 tie. During this run, senior captain Finn Bell – who recently committed to play Division II volleyball at D’Youville University – recorded the match’s first ace.

Westfield regained momentum and built a 16-9 lead. Although the set appeared in hand, the Warriors answered with four straight points, three coming on serves by junior Zach O’Donnell.

The run proved to be too little too late, as Westfield pulled away 25-20 to win the first set.

Set two:

The teams traded points early, with Wayland holding a slight 5-4 edge. After earning a sideout — a point won while receiving serve — junior Varun Bhukhanwala delivered four consecutive aces, giving the Warriors a commanding 10-4 lead and forcing a Westfield timeout.

The rest of the second set was routine for Wayland, as they slowly but steadily added to their lead. The Warriors eventually finished the set, winning 25-17 and tying the match at one set all.

Set three:

Westfield surged ahead early in a pivotal third set, scoring four straight points to take a 4-1 lead. The Bombers maintained the gap by trading points and keeping Wayland at a distance. The Warriors stayed within reach at 10-7, but Westfield pulled away with another four-point run.

The Warriors did their best to come back, but this set was over. With Westfield winning the third set 25-14, Wayland would have to win back-to-back sets if they wanted to avenge their 2024 loss.

Set four: 

Westfield had the early advantage, going ahead 6-4 at the beginning of the fourth set. Then, the Bombers scored six straight points, putting Wayland behind by eight points.

Momentum shifted briefly when Bell ended a long rally with a kill, followed by back-to-back service points from junior Mason Lee. However, Westfield responded, stretching its lead to 21-12.

The Warriors refused to fade. Bhukhanwala added three more aces to cut the deficit to 21-16, but Westfield held firm, pushing the score to 24-19.

With five match points to put the game away, many fans in the Wayland student section began walking to the door, standing at the exit ready to beat the traffic. However, the Warriors had other plans. First, Wayland took back their serve, with Bell earning another crucial kill. Next, Bhukanwala got a kill, making it 24-21 and forcing a Westfield timeout.

Out of the timeout, there was another extended rally, but Westfield was the first to make a mistake, sending the ball out of bounds and leaving themselves with just two match points. Bell had another kill, and now Wayland was just one point away from saving all of Westfield’s match point opportunities.

But with the match on the line, Westfield junior Max Yurtuc was the one who had a moment to remember, as he double blocked Bhukanwala and senior captain Dylan Engelhardt to clinch a 3-1 win for the still-unbeaten Bombers (7-0).

The Warriors (5-2) came up short, but felt optimistic about the direction the game took.

“We play a very tough schedule, and it’s so we can learn to win games like these,” Engelhardt said. “We may have come up short tonight, but we finished strong in that last set and will grow from the experience.”

The Warriors have already bounced back with a sweep over Boston Latin in a Dual County League (DCL) matchup. Wayland’s next game is on Wednesday, April 29, against Waltham/Weston.