Berlin — The Waterford volleyball team has sung the “Eudy Song” on bus rides home this season, an ode to the late Josh Eudy, the program’s former coach and architect.

The Lancers opted to break tradition on Saturday as they sang for Eudy moments after being awarded the CIAC Class M championship plaque.

Match MVP Mickayla Shelburn had a match-high 12 kills with four digs as fourth-seeded Waterford burned through No. 7 Ellington 25-18, 25-13, 25-13 at Berlin High School.

The Lancers won the first state title for the program.

The Lancers won the title for themselves.

The Lancers won the title for Eudy.

“He was a special person,” Shelburn said of Eudy. “He touched a lot of hearts. … This win was for him today.”

Eudy was the program’s first coach. He died from colon cancer on Christmas Day, 2013.

“We play for him every game,” Waterford’s Vanessa Kobyluck said, her eyes swelling with tears.

The senior setter paused for a moment, letting out a deep breath in the form of a “Whoo.”

“We knew going into this game that it was for him,” Kobyluck continued. “Everything was for him. Every play. Every kill.

“We came to play. We knew he was up there watching us. He’s very proud of us.”

Waterford (22-5) is just the fourth Eastern Connecticut Conference team to win a state voleyball championship. It joins Norwich Free Academy (Class LL, 2008), East Lyme (Class L, 2010 and 2011) and Ledyard (Class M, 2012).

The Lancers overwhelmed the Knights and put them away in one hour and 10 minutes.

Shelburn played with a broken thumb on her right hitting hand. Didn’t matter. She and her nine fingers only made two errors and ended the first and second games with kills.

“I would take her at 50 percent over any other outside hitter in the state at 100 percent,” Waterford coach Beau Lucas said. “Not just so much because of what she does hitting, but what she does all the way around the court for a team. Her selflessness. Her desire. She’s a gamer. She’s a closer. And she’s just a champion.”

Kobyluck was efficient running the Lancers’ attack as she had 32 assists with eight digs and three aces.

“If you had to design a player that was just smooth and consistent, from start to end,” Lucas said, “that’s her. From the beginning of the season to the end, (she was) smooth and consistent. (She) continued to get better. Kept elevating her game as we needed it. … And the most ideal leader you’d want on a court as a court captain.”

Mikayla Tourjee had 10 kills and nine digs for Waterford and Avery Kosma had 10 digs. Jillian Sykora added eight digs.

Ellington was the latest Class M opponent that was overwhelmed by Waterford’s middle hitters, Haley Taylor (six kills, three block assists, six aces) and Opal Willox (six kills, one block).

“I think it was the first time we actually had some middles to face that were tall and could put the ball down and block us,” Knights coach Allison Watras said. “They outmatched us today. It was a deserved win by them.”

Taylor stepped to the service line with Waterford leading 14-11 in Game 1. It was 23-11 by the time she was done. Shelburn had three kills, Tourjee one and Taylor an ace during that run.

Shelburn had a kill late in Game 2 to give her team an 18-13 lead and the serve. Taylor served out with Shelburn putting down three kills.

Shelburn’s tip gave Waterford the serve leading 11-9 in Game 3. Taylor once again screwed with the Knights’ serve-receive as she accounted for three of the Lancers’ next four points with aces.

Shelburn’s kill and another Ellington serve-receive error pushed Waterford ahead, 18-9.

Tourjee’s kill gave the Lancers match-point. Kobyluck passed to Taylor for the winning kill.

“Nothing could top (this),” Shelburn said. “It’s amazing. It’s a humbling feeling.”

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED