Whether it’s on the court, on stage, at home or in the classroom, there’s no separating Whiting’s Hope and Faith Huss.
The twin sisters and best friends have utilized their strong connection to the Oilers’ advantage at No. 1 doubles this season.
“I know her strengths and weaknesses, so I can read what she’s going to do next and what she’s going to cover on the court,” Faith said.
The sophomore sisters finished the regular season 10-3 overall and 7-0 in the Greater South Shore Conference to help the Oilers (12-2, 8-0) take the league title.
“At first, I was kind of nervous putting them at doubles together because I didn’t know how they’d play since they are sisters, but they listen well,” Whiting coach Mark Harnew said. “They’re vocal with each other. They motivate each other. It’s a good fit.”
The Huss sisters are seldom apart — and they wouldn’t have it any other way. They have every class together and are both involved in drama and music in addition to playing volleyball and tennis.
“We’ve always been close,” Faith said. “When we would get in trouble, our parents would separate us. Even when we were fighting, once we had to be separated, we would start crying. We still wanted to be with each other.”
The Huss sisters admitted to occasionally growing tired of one another. But they believe the amount of time they’ve spent together gives them an edge on the court.
“Sometimes it’s difficult, but most of the time it’s an advantage,” Hope said. “We get mad at each other on the court sometimes, but it pushes us. We cheer each other on.”
Hope and Faith faced off in challenge matches during preseason practices, but there was never really a doubt they would be playing side-by-side once the season got underway.
Hope is right-handed and Faith is left-handed, making the pairing even more perfect.
“Putting them together at doubles just makes sense because they both have the strong forehand,” Harnew said. “It’s neat; you can tell they like working together.”
After Monday’s match against Highland, the multifaceted Huss sisters rushed to a choir concert.
“They balance it really well,” Harnew said. “They put tennis first and the rest comes after.”
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Quest for 40: Munster begins sectional play on Wednesday against Calumet with its sights firmly set on extending its state-record sectional title streak to 40.
No. 1 doubles player Sara Ladd is back from a knee injury that forced coach Patrick Spohr to shuffle his lineup.
The Mustangs (11-3, 6-0 Northwest Crossroads Conference) have faced some strong competition lately, including in a 5-0 loss to state fourth-ranked South Bend St. Joseph.
“It’s nice to have the toughest part of the schedule at the end of the season,” Spohr said. “That really helps us going into the postseason.”
Ready for rematch: There won’t be a long wait for the anticipated rematch between Duneland Athletic Conference champion Crown Point (12-1, 7-0) and conference runner-up Lake Central (14-1, 6-1).
The Indians will seek to avenge their earlier 3-2 loss to the Bulldogs in a first-round sectional meeting on Wednesday at Crown Point.
“We just got Lake Central on a night where they were nervous or overlooking us,” Crown Point coach Brian Elston said. “They’re going to be fired up for the sectional.”
Brandon Vickrey is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
TOP 5
Last week’s rankings in parentheses
1. Munster (1)
2. Crown Point (2)
3. Lake Central (3)
4. LaPorte (4)
5. Valparaiso (5)
Player of the Week: Chesterton’s Hannah Nabhan bounced back from a three-match losing streak, getting No. 1 singles wins against Portage and Valparaiso to improve to 11-4.