WORCESTER – Bourne volleyball head coach David Moore didn’t head into the season or go through much of it feeling like his team needed to avenge its loss in the Div. 5 state final last year after a memorable season with a sophomore-heavy lineup.

The Canalmen’s large group of returning players locked in to make it happen anyway.

With a different level of poise in their return to the Div. 5 state final Thursday night, top-seeded Bourne (20-5) impressed on just about all fronts to sweep No. 2 Whitinsville Christian 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 27-25) for its first state title since 2018.

“This was great,” Moore said. “It wasn’t the only goal of the season. It wasn’t even – it didn’t have to happen. But they had it in their mind, they were ready to go back here and get another try at it. We didn’t talk about it a lot, we just really talked about getting better each week. I’m just really proud of them. It was fun to be a part of.”

Aggressive serving (six aces) and accurate passing anchored the win, as well as a well-rounded performance on the attack that fueled the Canalmen to a 2-0 match despite a back-and-forth start against a scrappy Crusaders’ (22-3) defense.

Junior Sofia Halunen was at the center of much of it, dishing 17 assists while accruing a game-high 13 kills. Juniors Michaela Muldoon (14 assists, seven kills, two blocks) and Nola Timo (seven kills) starred alongside her. Junior Lily Russell (six kills) provided timely scoring, including the match’s final point, and senior Carley May (five kills) was an energizer after every point to help maintain momentum.

“This year, the entire season, we were like, ‘Our mentality is that we give it all or give it nothing,’ ” Halunen said. “The heart that our team had is the core of this group. We have great players. Passers, setters, hitters – everything. But we were able to have the heart and that’s what brought us here.”

Whitinsville Christian challenged Bourne plenty, including a dangerous stretch near the end of the second set heading into the third.

Faith Najem and Hannah Rejmer played well at the net, powering a lead that grew as much as 15-10. But the Canalmen knew what was at stake and clawed back in bits to eventually lead 21-20. Five straight Bourne service errors kept it from putting away the game for a heart-stopping finish to the third set, but kills from Halunen and Russell finally sealed the 27-25 win for the title.

“Third set, we fell back,” Halunen said. “We came together in the middle and we decided, ‘We know what we’re doing, we’re here for a reason, let’s get it done.’ … I can’t even explain it.”

“This is a unique group, most of these kids have been playing on this varsity team since they were freshmen,” Moore added. “In the locker room, we’re talking about how together this group is. We worked hard to instill that all year, for them to trust each other. That’s what makes this team special. They don’t give up. They’re just a lot of fun.”