MINERSVILLE – Panther Valley’s volleyball team looked like it was going to melt like butter on a hot summer day.

Pine Grove was bringing the heat - flamethrower type of heat.

The Cardinals looked poised and were showing no kinks in the armor. Their powerful front line was throwing down slams, forcing Panther Valley into all kinds of disarray.

The Panthers’ season appeared to be on the brink in the semifinal round of the District 11 Class 2A playoffs.

Then, suddenly a wave came over Panther Valley - a wave of confidence; a wave of character; and a wave of courage.

The Panthers rebounded from a slow start to eventually chop down the top-seeded Cardinals in an epic five-set battle on Thursday night, 12-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13.

It was a match of inches and yards - and although Panther Valley’s wins were all by inches and Pine Grove’s win were by yards, the final measurement favored the Panthers.

“The first set, we had a lot of jitters,” said Panther Valley coach Emilie Baker. “A lot players never played in a game this big.

“But we settled down and did a great job of bouncing back.”

There were plenty of heroes for the Panthers, but none stood out more than junior Riley McArdle. She was “the show” for most of the match. But a one-person performance wouldn’t have been good enough on this night, and McArdle’s play was enhanced by the contributions of Natalie Vermillion, Maddison Maynard, Mikayla Yuricheck, Emma Dacey, Morgan Orsulak and Caroline Breslin.

Collectively, it was a team rising to the occasion at the most crucial time of the season

“We tried not to get down ... we know that we’re a good team,” McArdle said when asked about the rugged first set - one in which Pine Grove looked far superior. McArdle definitely did her part to turn things around for the Panthers as she came up huge both offensively (22 kills) and defensively (19 digs).

“Riley surely has stepped up this year; she’s a true leader on the court,” said Baker “She finds a way to bring us back when we’re down.”

Baker also shared how Vermillion (nine kills, 13 digs) responded.

“For a sophomore, in a big game like this which was filled with all kinds of anxiety and energy, Natalie really came through for us as well.”

Vermillion recorded the night’s biggest kill as she closed out the fifth set and sent her teammates into a frenzy.

Pine Grove, fresh off a Schuylkill League championship, was impressive early on.

But the Panthers weren’t fazed, and bounced right back in the second set to take a 14-7 lead on their way to the match-evening win.

In the crucial third set, the teams were tied 20-20 when McArdle delivered a pair of vicious slams that propelled PV to the 25-21 win.

The fight wasn’t subsiding, however, as Pine Grove rolled in the fourth set to set the stage for a fantastic finish.

The Panthers fell behind 2-0, but rallied and looked home-free when a McArdle service run gave them a 12-7 lead. Pine Grove wasn’t going down quietly, however, and rallied to within a point.

But Vermillion’s kill ended the comeback and ultimately sent the Panthers into the district final.

ALLY CATS … Panther Valley’s student body was clearly at the top of its game, which certainly wasn’t overlooked by the players. “They’re always there for us,” said Vermillion about the support.

UP NEXT ... The Panthers will meet Notre Dame of Green Pond in Tuesday’s District 11 championship match. The Crusaders defeated Jim Thorpe, 3-1, in Thursday night’s other semifinal contest.