It was only fitting that the first-ever state championship for the Wayland High School boys’ volleyball team was in the hands of one of the greatest players the state has ever seen.
Playing against Westfield, the team they’ve faced the past two years in the tournament and one of only two teams to beat them this season, the Warriors set the ball for Finn Bell to finally bring home the trophy.
Even though Bell was playing in the back row, the all-time Massachusetts leader in kills took a set from Zachary O’Donnell and cranked a typical rocket for his 1,485th kill that went off a Westfield blocker and sailed behind the opponents’ bench to send the team and its many fans into a frenzy
“I was so thankful that Zach was able to get me the ball there,” said Bell. “I had to run behind him to get to the ball. Zach doesn’t like to set the ball behind his head — it’s not his go-to play — but he was able to do it.
It was an amazing moment to celebrate. I’m pretty happy to end my career like that — it was kind of fitting.”
It was also fitting that Bell, who will continue his play at D’Youville University in Buffalo, N.Y., next year, recorded the winning point. In the final set, after trailing 8-7, he personally scored 13 of the final 14 Wayland points on six kills, five service points, and two blocks.
“In every big moment we’ve ever needed him, Finn is there for us,” said coach Phil George. “What I noticed that was different this year from past years is his quiet self-confidence. He’s always been an outstanding player, but his self-confidence has settled deep inside… The way he brushed off mistakes [this season] was not a coincidence. That confidence showed, and he said, ‘Hey, I got to win a state title for us.’” And that was what his team asked of him in the final set of the 25-15, 25-21, 12-25, 25-13 victory.
With a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, Alex Pearlman went down with an injury. The Bombers scored seven of the next nine points for an 8-7 lead. George decided to change his game plan since Pearlman, whom he called his second-best offensive player, was on the sideline.
“I called a timeout and spoke to Zach O’Donnell and told him to modify the game plan without Alex there,” he explained.
“It was time for the ‘set Finn the ball’ approach. Let’s not forget we have the best player in the state. Give him the ball and let him cook.”
The impressive fourth-set stat line showed the coach’s decision to ride the 2026 Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year and Dual County League MVP was the correct call.
“After Alex went down and the game plan was now to give [me] the ball, it was a tough moment for me,” Bell said. “I just came off [the third set] where I had like five hitting errors. I wasn’t in the flow. But I put any negative thoughts out of my mind and had to push to win the set.”
Wayland had lost the last two state finals (3-2 to Westfield in 2024 and 3-1 to Agawam last year). The Warriors actually had a 2-0 lead against Westfield before suffering a “reverse sweep” in losing the final three sets. So coming back from the post-injury lull was very important to avoid doubt and possible déjà vu in the players’ minds.
“Having just fallen short the last two years, this was such a nice way to go out for something we’ve been chasing,” Bell said. “It’s been our goal the last four years to hang a [championship] banner. And to do it as a senior is very surreal.”
The Warriors (23-2) will lose Bell, Engelhardt, and Max Walsh to graduation, but George hopes the title is not a one-and-done. “We have a very talented group back next year, so we hope we will be in a similar place,” he said. “We joked on the bus ride home: ‘Same time, same place next year.’”
