After three seasons with North Carolina, Oysten Steiro — a 6-foot-6 senior hailing from Norway — is taking on a leadership role for the Tar Heels.
With a pair of big wins this weekend against No. 44 Oregon on Friday and No. 38 Virginia Tech on Saturday, No. 7 UNC clinched a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
“I’m a senior now, and we’ve never made it to the National Indoors,” Steiro said, “So you can understand that this is a big goal for me and the team.”
Steiro did his fair share of work for the Tar Heels over the weekend, winning in singles during both matches while also winning in doubles against Virginia Tech on Saturday evening.
The starting lineup for the UNC men’s tennis team consists of just two seniors, Steiro along with Esben Hess-Olesen. So the senior leadership for this young team is critical to their success.
“We’re a great group of guys with many different personalities,” Steiro said, “But we all fit each other very well.”
Steiro’s leadership for the nationally ranked UNC team is evident both on and off the court. This team keeps each other accountable on different facets of their everyday lives.
“We push each other — no matter what it is — from eating healthier to just being a better guy,” Steiro said.
With the National Indoors on the weekend of Feb. 13 to 16, UNC will undoubtedly be focused on this championship as a chance to showcase just how good this young team is and can be.
Steiro pointed out a couple of areas in his game that he needs to work on prior to the championship and lauded the help Head Coach Sam Paul and Associate Head Coach Tripp Phillips have given him.
“Right now my serve and first ball are an area I’ve been practicing hard on with Coach (Paul) and Tripp,” said Steiro with an ice-bag draping off his arm. “The coaches have been working on my decision-making on when to charge the net, too.”
He said the UNC coaching staff has played a major factor in Steiro’s development as a player over the past three seasons and has molded him into the player he is today.
“It doesn’t get any better than them,” Steiro said, “They push me to reach my full potential everyday.”
With his final season ahead of him, the Norwegian Steiro appears to have truly embraced his role as leader of the team and can’t wait to compete at the Indoor National Championship in February.
“Mentally my coaches have made me grow up in my head and that has prepared me to be a leader,” said Steiro with sweat still dripping.
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