WAYLAND >> The Needham boys volleyball team might not be overwhelming opponents with one or two superstar outside hitters on a nightly basis like it did through its dominant three-peat, but the other components of a winning formula are what has guided it to legitimately contend for yet another Div. 1 state title this year.

Those components were on full display Wednesday night for the No. 5 Rockets (16-5), responding to Tuesday’s loss at Natick with a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-12, 25-19) over Div. 2 title contender No. 8 Wayland.

Stellar defense in the front and back rows limited a loaded Warriors (12-7) attack missing star outside hitter Finn Bell, who was only available for serving as he works his way back from injury.

Needham served well, it produced sideouts at an efficient clip to prevent long runs, and its own deep attack saw Will Rozman (nine kills) and Matt Cloonan (eight kills) lead the way.

“Whenever you can go into another team’s gym and win, it’s positive,” said Rockets head coach Dave Powell. “(Wayland) is one of the top programs in the state. You’ve just got to play who’s on the other side of the net. … We obviously want to see them at their best. (Bell) is a talented kid who works really hard, and I wish he was out there competing against us. But they have other really good kids, and they’re a program.”

Powell’s opening thoughts after the win centered around the defense and serving.

Andrew Kurdziel (three kills, five blocks), Will McDonald (four kills), Jeremy Smith (four kills) and Thomas Klein (two kills, block) played especially well on the block, often stuffing Wayland’s top hitters on numerous hits within rallies before the Warriors committed errors. Behind them, libero Ben Vu, Tyler Goldberg and Nico Viazzoli anchored a standout passing performance to find setters Nathaniel Ross (14 assists, ace, kill) and Luke Vivaldi (12 assists, ace) in optimal spots.

And within 11 different runs of three or more consecutive points, Vu, Goldberg (three aces), Viazzoli (ace), Ross, Vivaldi and Kurdziel served well.

“I was happy with our defensive intensity today, and I thought we served pretty tough,” Powell said. “We try to play tough defense and we try to just do the little things, and today we did that. … In the pre (Ben Putnam, Owen Fanning, Raymond Weng) era, that’s how we got it done. We’re used to winning in different types of ways. This is kind of our brand now. I’d like to see us become a little more disciplined and consistent, but we like what today was.”

Bell is expected back for the state tournament, and Wayland showed plenty of flashes of what makes it a strong contender in Div. 2.

Cooper Szeremeta (eight kills) and Dylan Engelhardt (seven kills, ace) led the attack, orchestrated by setter Zach O’Donnell (20 assists, two kills, ace). Mason Lee (five kills, block) provided depth, and the group traded plenty of long rallies with Needham as its serve-receive and defense were put to the test.

Needham just wouldn’t let those moments materialize into big runs, though, never allowing more than three points in a row. Thirty of Wayland’s 48 total points were met with a Needham side-out.