Sports
South's Josh Sang, Connor Couch ready for encore at state tennis
Josh Sang admits that it's a little less nerve-wracking to be a beast on the tennis court than it is on the Carmichael Auditorium stage.
His doubles partner Connor Couch knows the feeling. They joined teammate Abe Corry in the cast of this fall's Sounds of South production of Beauty and the Beast, often pulling double duty on the same day Bloomington South made it all the way to team semistate.
There's no script for tennis, of course, but the duo has written a surprisingly happy ending to their junior season, posting a 6-0 record in the IHSAA state doubles quarterfinals playoffs on Friday at 2 p.m. at Park Tudor .
“It's exciting,” Sang said. “I didn't really think we'd get too far, but I think we'll say so.”
South's has had some strong successes of late sending doubles teams to the finals. In 2020 it was seniors Ethan Uhls and Marcel Borhiand, in 2021 Michael Asplund and Chris Lian (who now plays at Rose-Hulman) went as juniors. Both pairs came back with a third place.
“The last people to go were Mike and Chris and they loved tennis,” Couch said. “We didn't think we could get this far, but we played well.”
“They were really good players,” Sang said. “We didn't think we would get this far, but I think Connor and I have really worked hard this year.”
Sang was there to back up his brother Chris, so he knows what the atmosphere will be like when they take on Carmel's Michael Bao and Grant Mu. The winners will play again in the semi-finals on Saturday at 10 a.m.
“I watched my brother and Michael play and it was pretty intimidating,” Sang said. “I remember seeing these two doubles partners almost getting into a fight, so that was a little weird.”
Big stage, big spotlight
While Sang, a Sounds of South veteran since his freshman year, played The Beast, Couch was an ensemble member and Abe Corry was Cogsworth. And that experience was more stressful than even the three-set win against Evansville Memorial in the Jasper Semistate the morning before one of their acting gigs.
“I feel a lot more pressure on the podium than on the field,” Sang said. “Because I have been playing tennis for a while and they are two completely different games.”
South head coach Matt Corry brought the two together this year. They both got some varsity time as freshmen, with Couch joining full-time this year. So it's been a year of building chemistry and getting to know each other's games and personalities better.
“I think we're doing our best in all these things,” Corry said. “It takes time, so we're trying to grow and trying to talk more, worry less about the outcome and focus more on the things we can do well.”
“He has maybe the best volleys on the team and I'm quite tall and can achieve most things,” Couch said. “So we've been pretty good at the net and that's where doubles are played.”
They get a good scouting report from teammates Alex Busch and William Liao, who played 1 double play against Bao and Mu in their match with the Greyhounds. The most important thing for Couch and Sang is to stay true to themselves.
“I think sometimes we feel like we have to play crazy to achieve certain things,” Corry said. “So we're trying to help them find comfort in doing the things that they do well and discipline-wise, and we're also trying to continue to use some of the tools that we can use a little bit this weekend.”
'Just play loose'
Couch and Sang are a combined 13-2, the losses each coming at two doubles for Carmel and Jasper, and they have won six in a row, including a pair of three-setters in the postseason. So they are being put to the test.
“They had to fight their way here,” Corry said. “So I just want them to be proud of the climb and know that it's not a failure or a success based on the outcomes, but that they were able to give themselves the opportunity.
“We want to make it smaller and have fun with it. This is a team effort that all eight varsity boys have been a part of.”
The combination of their acting and playing careers matches their different strengths as players.
“He's definitely the more positive one,” Couch said. “It's something that gets into my head too easily and he's always there to get me out of there.
“But I would say that when things go well, I become more passionate and he is a little more subdued when he is under pressure, so my fire can help this guy and we both play better.”
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Couch sees them as underdogs on paper, so 'playing loose' is the way they want to ease the pressure of the moment. Maybe it will help bring out the beast in both of them.
“They are very different guys,” Corry said. “They are both quiet and reserved, so we try to get them out of their comfort zone that way.
“The Sounds of South connection is a good thing and it's funny to see the difference when they're on stage compared to when they're in tennis mode. The tennis definitely brings more intense emotions.”
Sources 2/ https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/high-school/tennis/2024/10/24/souths-josh-sang-connor-couch-ready-for-encore-at-state-tennis/75667469007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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