BETHLEHEM - Mallory Conner was in it to win it.

And her performance throughout the District 11 Tennis Tournament gave her an opportunity to do just that.

The Northwestern sophomore advanced to the finals in the Class 2A bracket on Tuesday before falling to Moravian Academy’s Francesca Bartolacci.

Conner’s showing in four matches over the last two days showcased the ability of a player on an upward trajectory.

“Honestly, it just gives me more confidence for next year,” said Conner. “Even if Francesca was here or not, I would still be ready.”

Top-seeded Bartolacci picked up her third career title and second in a row for the Lions with a 6-4, 6-0 victory at Freedom High School.

Conner, who was seeded third, took the first set in the finals match, and tied it at 2-2 when Bartolacci forced deuce after being down 40-15. But Conner hit back-to-back winners to take the game and tie things up.

The momentum swung back to Bartolacci, as the senior the next three games to build a 5-2 lead.

But Conner showed her talent - and toughness - in the match.

During the changeover, Conner required attention from the trainer for an ailing right shoulder. She responded by taking the next two games to cut the deficit to 5-4.

“Obviously, that affected my serve a lot and my overhead,” said Conner. “But I still played through it.”

Trailing 40-30 and facing set point, Conner forced deuce before eventually coming up with another winner to make it 5-4.

“Coming back, being down 5-2, I knew obviously that game’s a must win,” said Conner. “That was a hard-fought game that went to deuce. I really just had to put it all into that because winning the first set is super important, and I wanted to try to put the pressure back on her.”

But Bartolacci responded by closing out the first set in the next game to go up 1-0.

“I felt like she was right there,” said Conner’s coach Brian Bleam. “I felt like it could have gone either way. If she could have won just a couple more points in that first set, I feel like it would have been different. But I know her shoulder was hurting. So I think that was probably a significant factor, too.”

Bartolacci turned back Conner in the second set before eventually closing out the match for her third title in four years.

Conner battled the adversity and a talented player in Bartolacci in the finals, showing herself as one of the top players in the district despite the Tigers not having a team.

“Districts is a great opportunity to showcase your skills,” said Conner. “You just try to come in and do your best. I tried to always keep myself in every match. Obviously, the last set kind of got away a little. But the score doesn’t always represent the match.

“We had a pretty long match. We had a lot of good points. It’s just a great opportunity, being back here the next two years, I’ll be even more comfortable next year. It just gets better from here.”

Conner’s day started with a 6-0, 6-0 win over No. 2 seed Madelyn Groff of Allentown Central Catholic in the semifinals.

“That match was super comfortable. I was super confident, especially going into the second (match),” said Conner. “Obviously, I’ll see her over the next few years. So I know she’ll be back next year. I know she’ll be more prepared, but so will I.

“I didn’t know much about her, but watching her and playing against her, she’s a good player.”

Conner faced a break down 40-30 in the second game of the first set against Groff but rallied to force deuce before eventually taking the game and a 2-0 lead.

It helped set the tone for the type of performance the would follow in both matches Tuesday.

“She was the underdog,” said Bleam. “She came in as the No. 3 seed. She beat the No. 2 seed 6-0, 6-0, and played a now three-time district champion, so that’s pretty tough. And she doesn’t have a team around her. When you put things in perspective, I think what she did was just phenomenal. I know she’s very disappointed. She’s hard on herself, but she did a good job. Second place in the district is pretty impressive as a sophomore.”

And Conner looks like she’s just getting started.

The tournament began Monday and Conner breezed to a 6-0, 6-0 first-round victory over Moravian Academy’s Penelope Blomfield, Conner found herself trailing 3-2 in the first set during her quarterfinal match. She didn’t flinch, storming back to take the first set 6-3 before dispatching No. 6 seed Laura Li of Moravian Academy with a 6-0 rout in the second set.

“Usually when I’m playing in tournaments, how I see myself is, ‘I can outlast whoever I’m playing,’” said Conner. “So whether that be, they take a break, and I have to break back, but just really being able to come back and keep my focus. Like my coach said right after I lost those two (games), ‘Play the match to win, not to not lose,’ which is kind of what I was doing. I was forcing myself.

“But I got a lot more comfortable, went for more shots, and it ended up helping me win the match.”

Conner led the quarterfinal match 2-1 in the first set before Li took the next two games after going up 40-30 in each.

“There’s a big difference when you’re playing,” Bleam said of the mentality he wanted to see. “There’s a huge difference. A lot of times when you’re playing, you’re hesitant, you’re passive and you’re playing defense.

“Her strong game is when she gets aggressive and attacks. And that’s what I told her. And she didn’t lose a game after that.”

Conner settled in and hit her stride to take control of the match.

“Some players have an extra gear when they get down,” said Bleam. “They don’t hit it until they get down in a set, and then it just kind of motivates them and elevates their game. It’s like she has an extra gear, and champions need that.”

Conner - who also plays basketball and participates in track and field for the Tigers - makes sure she stays busy with tennis, too.

It’s a labor of love, especially since Northwestern doesn’t have a tennis team.

“In the summer, I went over to Northwood (Racquet & Fitness Club) like four days a week straight for three hours in the afternoon,” said Conner. “Friday would probably be usually a lesson or just resting to get ready for my tournament on the weekend, and then I’d be at Northwood again on Sunday, if I didn’t win my tournament and get there on Sunday.

“Coming up to here, Monday I actually help coach, and then I get a lesson after. So then Friday’s usually my chill day. But I have lessons three times a week at least with coach Bleam, and then I’m over at Northwood for two days. So, a lot of tennis.”

Conner first started playing tennis around five years old and began to get involved in tournaments around the age of nine.

But she always played up in her age category. When she could still play 14-under tournaments, Conner was playing 18-under events. “I think just hitting more. I feel like as the years go on, I get more and more comfortable with my shots,” said Conner. “And you need to have confidence, because if not, you’ll force yourself. But definitely the slice; my serve’s always been improving, it’s always something I want to work on, slice-serve I try to use a lot, especially when they kind of give you the side.

“But really my slice. In the second match, it wasn’t as low as I would have liked it to be. But it worked out good enough.”

The Class 3A District 11 final was a repeat of last year’s. Liberty’s Helena Lynn, the top seed, defeated No. 2 seed Alexandria Warsing of Parkland 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 for the Class 3A title. Both players are sophomores and have now met in the finals two years in a row. They