![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Winning yesterday’s game against Alma Heights Christian in the fifth inning with a score of 11-1, Varsity softball continued its streak, so far going undefeated with six victories.
Pitcher Alison Rugar (12) started the game strong, striking out all three of Alma Heights’ hitters at the top of the first inning. The bottom of the inning included Alison hitting a single, Mishi Vachev (10) stealing second base, and Ashley Del Alto (12) getting a walk to first.
It was not until the second inning, however, that the Eagles gained points on the scoreboard. Through stealing bases, Briana Liang (10) was able to get a run. With a powerful hit from Alisa Wakita (9), Alana Shamlou (11) ran home bringing the score at the end of the second inning to 2-0.
The Varsity boys volleyball team made a special appearance on the bleachers before their practice, cheering on their fellow Eagles as Alison struck out all three hitters again in the third inning.
At the bottom of the third, Ashley “Smashley” hit a triple, bringing Nitya Mani (10) home. Laura hit a single, letting Ashley run home, and Tong Wu (9) hit a double taking Laura and Briana home.
Freshman Marita Del Alto pretended to bunt the ball but then hit it so Alana could steal 2nd base, and the pitcher overthrew the ball, allowing Alana and Tong to run home and bringing the score at the end of the third inning to a 8-0 lead. The fourth inning ended quickly, with one more point for the Eagles as Ashley stole home when Alma Height’s catcher overthrew the ball.
“Everyone really contributed to this win. I feel like we really came together as a team,” Alisa said.
The girls knew that their opponents had not won a game yet this season, but the Eagles still went into the game with the same determination they would with in any other game, according to several players.
“Games like this are good because you find weaknesses in your own team,” Nithya Vemireddy (11) said. “It’s dangerous because the other team plays with heart and we have to be aware of that. Another thing I really like is the players who don’t normally get play time get the opportunity.”
In softball, a 10-point lead in the fifth inning ends the game, so the girls stepped out onto the diamond in the fifth inning ready to finish the game. A series of mistakes, however, resulted in a run for Alma heights, giving them a point on the board and making the score 9-1.
The girls then needed to score two more runs at the bottom of the fifth inning in order to end the game as hoped. They stepped up to the plate and Ashley “Smashley” hit a final double, bringing Alisa and Sonali Netke (10) home.
“The goals were not to play down to another team’s level,” coach Raul Rios said. “We play our game, Harker softball, not worrying about what other teams do. We did that and good things happened.”
Hoping to continue their undefeated streak, the girls take on King’s Academy away on Friday at 4 p.m.
