???The will to win is what makes a champion reach deep inside to find the strength to overcome all obstacles. Senior tennis player Octavian Stane is no stranger to winning and knows what he must do to be victorious.
???Stane discovered his love for tennis through his brother, Sebastian.
???"I watched him play all the time," Stane said. "It began to be a passion for me and I slowly begged my parents to let me play. At the beginning, they wouldn't let me play. They said 'you're going to be a doctor and your brother is going to be a tennis player.' Eventually, they gave me one chance. I did well in my first tournament, so they said, 'Why not?'"
???Hockey is Canada's most popular sport. Because of this, Stane nearly pursued a career on the ice instead of on the court.
???"When I was 10 years old, I was going to start playing hockey," he said. "We got to the arena and we were going to sign the papers with the coach. The night before, I wasn't on my best behavior and my mom watched an NHL game on TV and she saw way too many fights. She knew I liked to fight, so she told me I wasn't touching a hockey stick."
???As Stane matured, he slowly realized he might someday have an opportunity to play Division I tennis.
???"When playing in tournaments, I never wanted to lose," Stane said. "I got a couple big wins under my belt, which made me start to believe in myself. I started to develop confidence during matches, and beating better players. At that point, I said to myself, why not? Let's see how far I can go."
???Before coming to Buffalo, Stane was the top-ranked player in Ontario, Canada. He explained how this was great practice and preparation for his jump to collegiate tennis.
???"That was pretty good," Stane said. "It was really fun because every match you go into you're the favorite, so you have a little pressure on your shoulders. With everybody gunning for you, it really was a ball."
???When it comes to professional tennis, Stane can't get enough of Spanish-born player Rafael Nadal.
???"I love his style," he said. "I love his raw and natural talent, and he is just a beast."
???When deciding on which school to attend, Stane had several options. Initially, his choices were between Illinois, Texas and Florida. Ultimately, he decided on the University at Buffalo.
???"I love it," Stane said. "I had my doubts when I first came in, being away from home and I wasn't really sure on what UB had to offer, but every year it became better and better. The team had gotten really good and I really enjoy being around the other players and the coach."
???One of the toughest parts of a tennis match is the sheer exhaustion that can come into play during a long match. Some players struggle with the pressure and the strain of a trying match.
???Stane has come to grips with the fact that he plays from behind in most of his matches.
???"I actually start off really slow," he said. "My main focus is to have a good start. For whatever reason, my whole career, I tend to lose the first set. It's no problem though, because my mentality is: it's something I do, it's part of my game. Some people hit great forehands, some people hit great backhands. I lose the first set."
???By understanding this, Stane feels he has an opportunity to win like no other.
???"So with that in mind and knowing the match is two out of three sets, I try to pace myself," he said. "I know if I can break down my opponent and slowly chip away at him, there will be a third set. If I can get into that third set, I've usually been pretty successful. But you have to be patient. It's not something [where] you can just put someone away with one knockout punch."
???After he graduates from Buffalo, he plans to pursue a career as a lawyer.
???"I'll probably be headed to law school," Stane said. "I hope to become a lawyer, either in real estate or criminology."
???The season is long and matches will come and go, but Stane believes that will fight to the end every time. For Stane, that end will be after the third set.
