NEWTON >> Every time Newton North had an advantage, Needham had an answer.

Needham played a tenacious style of volleyball, overpowering defending state champion Newton North (20-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19) for an impressive 3-1 road victory.

Newton North defeated Needham to capture the state title last season, a year after Needham defeated Newton North to cap off its three-peat of state championships. Earlier this season, Newton North upended Needham, but the Rockets could not pull off a season sweep.

Without standout senior Simon Vardeh, who was inactive due to a patellar tendon strain, Newton North (12-3) lacked an integral part of its attack. Though they were able to seize early leads, it was rival Needham (13-2) that repeatedly answered back.

Newton North played its best in the opening set, rattling off a six-point run to turn a tie game into a 14-8 lead. The hosts capitalized on that run to win the first set, 25-20, but Needham stormed right back, dominating the second set, 25-16, establishing the tone for the rest of the matchup.

Having guided four teams to a state championship, Needham coach Dave Powell knows what it takes to reach that elusive next level. With the tournament rapidly approaching, he was pleased with the way his team overcame early adversity.

“We didn’t play hungry in the first set,” said Powell. “We came out with a lack of focus, and I thought Newton North played really well. Then I was glad to see we were able to focus and play more disciplined in the next three sets. We pride ourselves on doing the little things, staying consistent, and being disciplined — and that’s what we were able to do.”

The race to win the third set featured a furious pace. Despite Newton North jumping ahead early, a 14-5 stretch allowed Needham to seize the critical set, 25-16. Newton North showed its resilience in the fourth set, but that was not enough as Needham employed a bend-but-don’t-break approach that yielded a 25-19 victory.

Led by senior leader Will McDonald, Needham continually applied pressure on their hosts throughout the final three sets.

“A win like this shows how hard we’ve been working in practice,” said McDonald (eight kills), who will study at West Point in the fall and play defensive end for the football team. “Newton North is a great team, so this is a good win for us.

“We’re working to be at our best for the postseason. There have been hurdles to jump all season, but we’re holding ourselves to a high standard. It helps that we’re all so close — we play a lot of beach volleyball together in the summer. We show up every day, work hard, and have a lot of fun together.”

Newton North is ranked second in the MIAA D1 power rankings, while Needham is ranked fourth. That will change after this outcome, but the state’s top four teams — including Brookline and Natick — will all still reside Bay State Conference. With Vardeh on the injured list, this game represented an especially daunting challenge for Newton North.

“There were a lot of teachable moments,” said Newton North coach Nile Fox. “We were able to see how we can’t lean on (Vardeh). We need to play together as a team, and I thought we did that. I know we didn’t win, but I’m proud of how hard the team played.”

Fox saw plenty of positives beyond the final score. Freshman Aaron Stein (six kills) delivered one of his best performances of the season, and Fox was encouraged to see his team compete against a perennial title contender without their fiercest weapon.

“Needham got the best of us,” said Fox. “But if we see them again, we’ll be prepared.”

For Needham, another run at the state title awaits. Powell wants his team to build upon its success.

“We’re going to keep working to get better,” said Powell. “And this game was a good step in the right direction.”