![Wayland Historical Society Executive Director Scarlett Hoey explains the history of the Cochituate Gatehouse.
"The exterior is still a nice monument to remember buildings [involved in] water history," Hoey said. "We all drink lots of water, and it's such an important resource that we kind of take for granted nowadays."](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_2024-1200x800.jpg)
“Finn Bell has done it! Wayland wins the state championship!”
Those were the words senior Nathan Hartunian shouted into the microphone as Wayland Sports Broadcasting concluded its final broadcast of the year.
The boys varsity volleyball team defeated Westfield High School to capture the state championship on Thursday, June 11, capping a historic 23–2 season with the program’s long-awaited first state title. After losing in the state final in each of the previous two years, Wayland broke through and claimed the championship trophy.
Senior captain Finn Bell led the Warriors throughout the season. Bell reached the state final in three of his four years at Wayland and set the Massachusetts all-time kills record.
Bell finished the game with 17 kills, two blocks and an ace. Junior Zach O’Donnell led Wayland with 37 assists, while senior Dylan Engelhardt had five kills, three aces and a block. Sophomore Alex Pearlman had 11 kills and two aces before suffering an injury in the fourth set.
Wayland won the first two sets before dropping the third. In the fourth set, with the Warriors leading 24–13, Bell delivered the final kill of his high school career to secure the championship. The point completed the team’s journey from two consecutive heartbreaking runner-up finishes to a state title.
“I was overcome by excitement after the final point,” junior varsity player Varun Bhukhanwala said. “I knew we were gonna do it, but I was just trying to stay focused on the play, making sure we played our hardest. The moment that ball went out of bounds off that guy’s head, I was overcome by emotion. It was awesome.”
Led by head coach Phillip George, Wayland finished the season on an 18-match winning streak. The Warriors’ last loss came against Westfield on April 10. They dominated throughout the postseason, dropping only one set—the third set of the championship match.
“I think that we knew we had the chance to be really good at the beginning of the season,” assistant coach Andrew Bliss said. “I think early in the year, we were a little too arrogant because we knew it was possible, but we hadn’t done anything yet. So when we lost to Westfield, that made us look in the mirror. There was a lot of maturity on the team this year to adopt that mindset.”
In 2024, Wayland lost to Westfield in the state finals after being reverse swept despite taking a 2-0 lead. This time, Wayland finished the job, winning in four sets.
“Two years ago, we were in this exact situation [being up two sets] against this same team,” sophomore varsity player Andrey Vieira said. So I was scared, but the second we won that point, I was so relieved, and it just honestly made my day.”
Wayland has plenty to celebrate in the coming weeks and a strong young core to build around after the graduations of Bell, Engelhardt, and senior Max Walsh. With Pearlman, O’Donnell, Bhukhanwala, and junior Mason Lee returning, the Warriors could be positioned for another deep playoff run in 2027.
“I think this win just sets a standard,” Bhukhanwala said. “We know what we can do, even if we have some really, really, really talented guys leaving the team, we’re all gonna get a lot better over the off season.”
