NATICK – The last time the Natick boys volleyball team had beat Bay State Conference foe Needham was back on senior day in 2019, and the long and winless years since added another chapter in April with a four-set loss that dropped the RedHawks to 0-2.

No better time than senior night to finally get revenge and end the drought.

Behind impressive runs midway through the first and third sets, and standout performances from its seniors, No. 2 Natick (15-2) took down the No. 5 Rockets with a 3-0 win (25-15, 26-24, 25-14) to extend its win streak to 15 games.

The whole lineup chipped toward the winning formula, its four seniors in middle Simon Pedrelli (nine kills, three blocks), middle John Carroll (five kills, block), Branch Barnes (10 kills, three assists, two aces) and Cody Gibendi (eight kills) anchoring an emotional victory in potentially their last chance to beat Needham.

“Of course (we talked about it),” Pedrelli said. “I had this circled on my calendar in football season. I’ve been thinking about this for a real long time. The first game, they got it from us. But there was no question in our mind that we were about to bring it to them today.”

“We believed more in winning than I think Needham, our team played very well all around,” added Natick head coach Peter Suxho. “We played very well on the defense, we played very well especially in blocking. … It’s a good time for our team.”

The first 10 points in each of the first and third sets looked much like that of a top-five matchup, both of which Needham built a very early lead on.

Natick’s ensuing runs proved too much to overcome, though.

Junior Redhawks setter Luke Dratch (32 assists, two kills, block) orchestrated the attack well, connecting with Pedrelli, Gibendi, Barnes and Carroll in a 10-3 run for a 15-9 lead in the first set. Gibendi followed a Needham side-out with consecutive kills for a 17-9 advantage. Needham traded 10 straight side-outs with Natick from there on kills from Andrew Kurdziel, Thomas Klein, Will McDonald and setter Nate Ross (12 assists, four kills, block), but Gibendi and sophomore Evan Katz (eight kills, two aces) combined to close out a 25-15 win.

In the third set, after Needham rallied to trail just 12-10, Natick ripped off an 11-3 run with more balance. Barnes, Gibendi, Carroll, and Pedrelli all earned kills in the stretch, while libero Dhruv Sirigiri and Dratch set them up to separate for a 23-13 lead Needham couldn’t bounce back from.

“It’s just lifting each other up,” Pedrelli said. “Every play, we bring the energy. It’s a team sport. You win with all six guys on the court. When you’re all playing together, playing for each other, you’re able to get off those big runs.”

The exception in an otherwise dominant showing was a tight second set, in which teams traded runs all the way to extra points. Matt Cloonan (seven kills), Will Rozman (five kills) and Kurdziel led the attack for Needham to keep it in the set for a potential 1-1 tie.

Katz came up clutch for Natick in a 4-1 run to close it out, finishing the set with six kills. Pedrelli also erupted with four kills and two blocks in one of his best performances against a fellow Div. 1 power.

“We told (Dratch) from the beginning and we said, ‘You have to play the middle,’ ” Suxho said. “You have to play (Pedrelli), you have to play (Carroll). (Pedrelli), lately, he started playing very well. … He believes more in himself now, and our setting has (been at a) better level.”

“A lot of these kids play club volleyball,” Pedrelli added. “I feel like I come in with something to prove every year because I don’t. It just really boosts my confidence. And when I see my teammates, it’s really exciting for me.”

Natick now has revenge against both teams (Brookline and Needham) that beat it early on, including handing Brookline its only loss this year.

“Going into the playoffs, we’re really at our peak right now,” Pedrelli said. “We’re just coming together as a team and I’m really excited for the playoffs.”