POTTSVILLE - Panther Valley played with the heart of a champion until the final whistle.

The Panthers clawed out of an early deficit and battled to the brink of another title.

But this was Pine Grove’s moment.

The Cardinals were ready to end their long championship drought.

For the first time in over three decades, Pine Grove claimed a District 11 volleyball title with a five-set victory over Panther Valley on Wednesday.

The Cardinals denied the top-seeded Panthers a fifth-straight crown, winning a 25-23, 25-15, 14-25, 23-25, 15-8 thriller to claim the Class 2A title.

“This last week at practice, in our gym there’s a banner from the last district championship for the volleyball team that’s from 1985,” said Pine Grove head coach Gene Kreitzer. “I told them that’s 35 years ago. Let’s go out and make the most of it; let’s add a new banner. And they get to do that.”

Panther Valley did everything in its power to make sure that didn’t happen.

After falling behind 2-0, the Panthers never trailed as they took the third set 25-14.

Panther Valley faced a deficit of 17-15 in the fourth, but got back-to-back kills from senior Natalie White (12 kills, two blocks) to tie it. Pine Grove fought back to tie it again at 23-23, but the Panthers never wavered and closed out the set to knot the match at 2-2.

“I told them this was it,” said Panther Valley head coach Emilie Baker. “You can walk away with a 3-0 loss, or we can turn it around. The seniors, I have seven seniors on my team, and I told them this is all they have left, and they have to leave everything on the court because you don’t want to leave a game disappointed in yourselves as a whole.

“And I think it really clicked for them. But Pine Grove played well. They never gave up. They are a team that no matter what happens in set one, set two, they just never give up and kudos to them.”

The final set was close until the midway point, with the Panthers never ahead by more than two and holding their last lead at 7-6.

A thunderous kill from freshman Riley McArdle brought Panther Valley within one at 9-8. But Pine Grove got it right back, and closed out the match with a 6-0 run.

The second-seeded Cardinals seized momentum early by winning the first two sets.

PV held a 21-14 lead in the first after a kill from senior Erika Dubosky, but Pine Grove put together a 7-0 run to tie it. The Panthers regained a 23-21 advantage, but the Cards closed out the set with a 4-0 surge.

The Panthers grabbed an early lead in the second set at 4-3. But Pine Grove put PV on its heels, taking a commanding 24-10 lead before junior Megan Wolfe finished off the set with a kill.

Wolfe, an all-state player a year ago, had 26 kills, four aces and two blocks. Alera Aungst had 53 assists, while Karissa Morgan finished with 38 digs.

Dubosky, an all-state player for PV a year ago, finished with 15 kills, five blocks, three assists and three digs. Junior Abbey Vermillion had six kills and four blocks.

After watching his team rally to top Notre Dame Green Pond in five sets in the semis, Kreitzer felt good about the early lead, but knew no advantage was comfortable.

“I think coming back and winning that first set the way we were down really set the stage for us,” said Kreitzer. “And then to come back in that second game, I think we kind of caught them by surprise a little bit.

“But they’re a resilient team, a well-coached team. We were in the same situation last week to get here. We lost the first two and had to storm back to win the next three. I tell the girls every night, you just need three. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first three; last three; or any in between. Just get three.”

Panther Valley’s path to the final was similar with a five-set victory over Allentown Central Catholic in the semis.

The Panthers never lost the grit and determination that has made the program the gold standard in the district.

Dives into the scoring table, leaps into the bench and crashes onto the floor at Martz Hall kept their dream alive.

They were all effort, all the time, until the very end.

“This is a great group of girls that I have to coach,” said Baker. “I’m truly blessed in that aspect of it.

“I’m sad to see it end. They’ve won districts the last four years, and we had a good run last year, too (to the PIAA quarterfinals) and you wish and hope for the best again. But sometimes, it doesn’t work out that way. And it stinks, but that’s a great group of kids I have, and I’m always going to miss this group that I’ve coached.”

BATTLE TESTED

... The Panthers defeated Pine Grove in both meetings during the season. Their first match on Sept. 15 ended with a 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14 PV victory. The second on Oct. 8 was a four-set (25-11, 17-25, 26-24, 25-19) win for the Panthers.

REMARKABLE RUN

... In addition to the four straight district titles, PV has made it to the quarterfinals of the PIAA tournament the last two seasons as well.