ROSS TWP — Latrobe was on the verge of forcing a fifth game, but Seneca Valley slammed the door shut.

In the WPIAL Class AAA girls volleyball quarterfinals Tuesday night, the Raiders watched a 21-13 lead in the fourth game dwindle to a slim 23-21 edge.

SV scored one point with Cate Seman behind the service line before the Wildcats (14-2) earned the serve, down 24-22.

Raiders junior outside hitter Meghan Drambel dashed Latrobe's hopes with a kill, giving SV a 3-1 win at North Hills.

The victory came by scores of 25-17, 23-25, 25-16 and 25-22.

The Raiders will face rival North Allegheny, a 3-1 winner over Baldwin, in a semifinal Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

Raiders coach Karen Martini had called a timeout late in the fourth game after Latrobe had scored four straight points to pull within 21-17.

"We just needed to relax and take it one play at a time," Martini said. "And we needed to improve our ball handling."

Wildcats coach Jennifer Feiertag said she believed the defeat was due to a lack of height.

"They had three big girls up front and we had one," she said. "That makes it tough and it was the difference down the stretch."

After winning the first game, Seneca Valley (18-2) struggled in the second before a late rally fell short.

The Raiders rebounded by taking control of the third game with kills by Seman, Drambel and Emma Carter.

"The third (game) win was huge," said Martini. "It very well could have been make or break for our kids. We may have been OK if it went to five (games), but the gym was filling up with people, getting loud, and you never know how the players will react.

"I think our players thought we had them beat after that first set," added Martini. "I told them, against a team like Latrobe, you can't give them an inch."

Seman, a junior middle hitter, came up with 21 kills and several key blocks.

Drambel had eight kills while Carter and Tricia Connolly each had seven kills, including four in the fourth game by Connolly.

SV also received a strong game from senior libero Alyssa DiMaria.

"She's the glue that holds everything together," said Martini. "She's short in height, but when it comes to leadership, she's as big as the girls up front."

April Krivionak's 10 kills led Latrobe.

The other Class AAA semifinal features Upper St. Clair against Pine-Richland.