But that didn’t matter much to McLaughlin.

The Mountie senior pulled her third straight upset in the semifinals over second-seeded Georgia Randall of Hughesville, 6-4 6-2, to clinch a state tournament berth before falling to Danville powerhouse Josie Bendle in the finals, 6-0 6-1.

While the score of her semifinal victory may seem like a lopsided match, it was far from it. McLaughlin and Randall played countless marathon points, with the match finishing in an hour and fifty-nine minutes. Mclaughlin found a way to win most of those points, and that was the key to the match.

“She’s actually a player that has probably in my coaching career some of the most tenacity. She just will keep on going. She does not give up on points. She pushes through when she needs to and does not give up,” South Williamsport coach Theresa Summerson said.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle, left, earns gold while South Williamsport's Emma McLaughlin finishes as runner-up in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

In the first set, McLaughlin was able to jump out to a 5-2 lead and hold on to win 6-4 as both players played a conservative brand of tennis. She got a great message from assistant coach Kent Young in between sets.

“He was talking to her a lot about keeping up what she was doing, if it’s working, go with it. She just was able to outlast some of those points. When it came down to the long rallies, that she found a way to get the winner,” Summerson said.

Randall jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the second set. But McLaughlin would steal the momentum back. She broke serve to tie the match at 2-2, and then held her serve to go up 3-2. She rode that momentum to a 6-2 set win to clinch her spot in the state tournament in two weeks.

“I feel like breaking her serve was really important, because we were going back and forth. I would get my own serve, she would get hers. But when I broke her serve and then I got mine again, then that put me up. So then that gave me momentum to keep going,” McLaughlin said.

In the other semifinal, South Williamsport junior Mylee Morrison fell to Bendle, 6-0, 6-2. Morrison was able to match Bendle’s considerable power, but Bendle was just a bit too consistent for the South Williamsport junior.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Emma McLaughlin competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

“Last year, she was here in doubles,” Summerson said. “Her and Emma were in the doubles semis together. And I just saw how much she really was hungry for it because of that, and I think that she’s kind of wanting next year to go to that next level up if she puts the time in, which she will. She has very beautiful topspin shots and is a strong player.”

McLaughlin was understandably fatigued from her semifinal match heading into the final, which was just thirty minutes after her semifinal. And against a player as good as Bendle that dropped just four games en route to the title, that made that match a tall climb.

“I was very tired. I just tried to do my best in the final. I was not expecting to win, especially because of how tired I was, but I’m still happy with the outcome,” McLaughlin said.

After losing the first set 6-0, McLaughlin was able to tie the second set at 1-1 before Bendle took complete control of the match and won the last five games en route to a 6-0, 6-1 victory.

Even with the loss in the finals, it was a sensational run through the tournament for McLaughlin. She defeated two of the top three seeded players and accomplished her goal of qualifying for the state tournament.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

Her attention will now turn towards the state tournament, set to begin Oct. 31 at the Hershey Racquet Club. McLaughlin, who is used to pressure situations having been a starter for South Williamsport’s 2025 state runners-up softball tournament, knows she has some work to do prior to Hershey.

“I’m just gonna try to put the work in and do as best as I can in states. Become more consistent with my harder shots, so I don’t have to keep going with the long rallies as much,” she said.

District 4 Girls Tennis TOURNAMENT

Semifinals

Josie Bendle (D) beats Mylee Morrison (SW) 6-0, 6-2; Emma McLaughlin (SW) beats Georgia Randall (H) 6-4, 6-2

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Emma McLaughlin competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

FINALS

Josie Bendle (D) beats Emma McLaughlin (SW) 6-0, 6-1.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle, left, and South Williamsport's Emma McLaughlin compete in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport's Emma McLaughlin competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville's Josie Bendle competes in District 4 girls tennis single finals at Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Monday.