The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A CHANGE in location has already paid off big dividends for Bahamian national team tennis player Khai Rees on the division one collegiate tennis circuit in the United States.

The 18-year-old son of two-time Olympic swimmer Nicholas Rees came out of the transfer portal from Temple University where he played his freshman year with the Owls men's tennis team to the Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds this year.

So far in their 6-0 win-loss record, Rees has played in four matches and was successful in all as he got his sophomore season off to a flying start, despite the fact that he only made the transition to his location two weeks ago.

"I started off my season pretty strong, so it's been going great," said Rees, who is coming off an opening singles 6-1, 6-2 victory from the fourth position against Dickinson.

Rees, who left St Augustine's College in grade 10 in 2023 to complete his high school at Laurel Springs International School - a private online school - said he decided to transfer from Temple University for a number of reasons.

"I felt I wasn't getting what I wanted at Temple. I felt I wasn't getting the right resources so I decided to change schools to where I would be in a better environment," he said.

"It's been great here. Everybody here has been super welcoming. I feel like I'm a big part of a big tennis family. I love the location. The campus is great. I love my classes. They are much smaller than the Temple. I feel like I'm getting an intimate learning experience."

With everything on the upside in the classroom as he pursues his major in real estate with a minor in finance, Rees said he's more focused on getting the job done on the tennis court.

"I'm very proud of myself. I had a great start and I'm looking forward to pushing myself for the rest of the season, especially in the spring," said the former swimmer and soccer player.

"I think the fall would definitely show how the spring season and our conference will go. I think we've had a great start as a team. We haven't lost yet. We won against Georgetown, which was ranked two years ago. We have a really strong team this year."

Rees noted that head coach Josh Eventoff has been juggling the line-up ensuring that every player gets to contribute to their winning streak. Hopefully it can carry over to the rest of the season. "I'm expecting great things here," Rees said. "We have a good chance of doing well in conference, maybe even winning the conference, if we can put our minds to it.

"But I think we will have a great season and if I keep playing the way I'm playing now, it should go exactly the way I want it to. I hope to keep playing and keep winning."

The Greyhounds will be back in action on October 8 when they play in the ITA Regionals in Blacksburg, Virginia, and then the Gold Invitational on October 9 in Annapolis, Maryland.

Rees, whose mother is Petra Rees, is leading the charge for his siblings. He has a middle brother Kingston Rees - one of the top junior tennis players in the country - and his younger brother Kashta Rees. They are both at St Andrew's School.

"Hopefully after college, depending on how I'm playing, I would love to try my hand at the pro ranks," he said. "I think I definitely have the skills and the talent and the work ethic to get there.

"It all depends on how the cards play out, but I will definitely want to try it for a year after college."