It took Panther Valley a little while to get some heat in its engines on Tuesday in its District 11 2A quarterfinal matchup with Executive Education Academy.

The Panthers started slow, but as with most high-performance machines, once they heated up, they were firing on all cylinders and on their way to a 25,16, 25-18, 25-18 victory and a 2A semifinal berth.

The first set was certainly an indication of that as Executive battled to trail 16-12 midway through the first.

Panther Valley (17-3) would then go on its first significant run of the game, outscoring the Raptors 8-2 to lead 24-14, putting Executive on the ropes.

Two points later, Riley McArdle would end the set with a kill from the left side.

“Going into this game, you don’t really know much about Executive; it’s not a rival or someone we’re used to playing, so I think it took some time for the girls to feel it out and get fired up,” said Panther Valley head coach Emilie Baker.

“Thursday, I know the girls will bring a different mentality to the court going against a tough Pine Grove team from our league in a semifinal atmosphere. We’re excited for that opportunity.”

In the second game, Executive got hot early in the frame and jumped out to an impressive 6-1 lead.

But PV showcased a vital asset that is always valuable in the playoffs - its ability to not waver when things aren’t going the Panthers’ way.

The Panthers chipped away at the Raptors lead - led by four McArdle kills - and evened the set at 10-10. Then they pulled away late in the set to come away with a 25-18 victory and a 2-0 advantage.

“Our girls do a very good job of never putting their head down, or getting down on themselves when a few points do not go their way,” said Baker. “If we’re down, they’re able to rally. I wish we would not get ourselves in those holes sometimes, but they always do a good job of digging themselves out.”

The Panthers went to the service line in the third to put the Raptors away.

Trailing 5-4, sophomore Natalie Vermillion helped put PV up 13-5, collecting eight service points and six aces during that stretch.

The Panthers would go on another run a few points later to extend their lead to 20-8, which put them in position to close out the match.

NEXT UP … The No. 4 seed Panthers will play No. 1 seed Pine Grove on Thursday at Minersville at 7 p.m. in the District 11 2A semifinals.

STAT LINE … McArdle led the way for Panther Valley with 13 kills, three aces and five digs. Morgan Orsulak added 12 digs and 11 assists, while Vermillion came through with seven aces, three kills and four digs.