Panther Valley seemed dead in the water.

After losing the first two sets, PV was on the brink of being swept by powerful Pottsville — in the Panthers’ den no less.

But that’s when the script flipped, and Panther Valley came roaring back.

With a whole lot of support from those in the bleachers, the Panthers erased the deficit and pulled out a thrilling, 23-25, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19, 16-14, Schuylkill League victory over the Crimson Tide.

PV used chutzpah, guile and determination from its bunch of youthful, resilient kids to turn the tables on its chief rival.

“I said, ‘this is our time, we need to get a reverse three sets,’” said Panther Valley head coach Emilie Baker-Hannis about what she told her players.

To be sure, the Panthers got back on their feet and battled through the adversity.

The contest was the final regular season one for both clubs. PV ended league play 12-2, with one of its losses coming to Pottsville. The defeat was the Tide’s first in the league, finishing 13-1 in Division 1.

Panther Valley now enters the league playoffs on a high note. The Panthers, the No. 2 team out of Division 1, face Nativity from Division 2 on Monday in a quarterfinal matchup at Minersville.

Against Pottsville, things started to take a favorable twist during the third set. PV used a three-point run to turn a 17-17 tie into a 20-17 advantage.

But the game was still in the balance, and the Tide regained the edge. A solid stretch pushed the visitors to one point away from a sweep, leading 24-23.

Then in a flash, Panther Valley caught momentum thanks to a huge kill by Natalie Vermillion to tie the score.

Moments later, unsung Emma Dacey pulled off a terrific pair of kills to give her team a breath of fresh air to claim the third set, 26-24.

“We’ve been in this position before, and we are capable of coming back,” Morgan Orsulak said with a cool calmness.

It was also a milestone night for the 5-11 junior, who notched her 1,000th-career assist.

“It means a lot. I couldn’t have done it without my hitters,” said Orsulak, who had 25 assists on the night. “My coaches are the reason, too. They are always on my back telling my how I can be a great setter.”

The Tide also had moments behind the play of Lainey Dusel, Megan Yost, Anna Burke, Ryann Brennan and Ava Schwartz.

Pottsville did give the Panthers fits throughout the final three sets, though, as its defense was outstanding at times.

The Tide had defenders deep in the back row to counteract the strong kill shot attempts PV tried to muster with the leaping Orsulak, power hitters Jaelynn Browdy and Jessica Hackash, and the standout play of libero Caroline Breslin.

After grabbing their first win in set three, the Panthers were far from looking like the favorites. The Tide got a huge lift from Burke, as the sophomore held serve and reeled off four-straight aces for a 16-13 lead.

“We were in a little bit of a lull there,” said Baker-Hannis. “Sometimes we have that tendency to lose (focus).”

In a jiffy, the Panthers regrouped and rallied to tie the score 17-17. They pumped up the volume behind the serving of Dacey, and then Vermillion pounded a wicked kill before Browdy unloaded her power shot for another kill that sent PV into a frenzy. There was no turning back, as they knotted the contest at 2-2.

“We just had to keep our heads up,” Breslin said when asked about being down 2-0. “What helped us (to come back) was positivity, we didn’t hang our heads.”

They could have easily done that — even in the fifth and deciding set.

Panther Valley took a 9-7 lead, but then quickly found itself in a jousting match. There were ties at 10, 11, 13 and 14. Finally, the Panthers shook off the pesky Tide when Orsulak slammed home an in-your-face kill for a 15-14 advantage, before Vermillion sent a cross-net shot for the game-winning point.

“We needed to keep our heads,” Breslin said.

LAST TIME OUT … In the first meeting in Pottsville, which also went to five sets, the Tide earned the win with a 19-17 victory in the final game. After two tight battles, the two clubs could possibly meet again twice more — once in leagues, and again in districts.

HITTING IT OFF ... Orsulak contributed four aces and 18 kills. Breslin had a monster of a night with her 39 digs, while Vermillion chimed in with 16 kills and 13 assists. Pottsville had Yost with 26 digs, 46 assists, two aces and two kills. Dusel checked in with 12 kills, 20 digs and a block. Adding to the attack with 13 kills and 21 digs was Rhyan Brennan.