![“[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)
Junior Varsity Girls volleyball wins against Mercy SF in two sets
Lindsey Trinh (9) and Ankita Uppugunduri (9) jump up to block a hit from Mercy SF’s player. Ankita played middle front while Lindsey played right side.
The Junior Varsity girls volleyball team won in two sets against Mercy San Francisco on Thursday to become league champions with a record of 22-6.
The Eagles won the first set and beat the Skippers 25-14 in the second. Sophomores Emma Sayiner led the team with four kills in the second set. When the final buzzer sounded, the entire team huddled together in celebration as the crowd cheered.
The JV coach, Diana Melendez, also known as Coach D, has been coaching the girls for three years. She had high expectations for the team this year, noting the players’ skills and teamwork throughout the season. Many of the JV girls have played volleyball since middle school and already had the basics perfected, so the team focused more on consistency and coordination in its practices.
“There wasn’t really a whole lot of teaching with this group; skillwise they’re all pretty much right there,” Coach D said. “There was a lot more just teaching how to coordinate and transition into better plays and play a smoother game.”
There was much anticipation in the crowd for both the JV league final match and Senior Night afterwards. The Blackford gym was set up with posters and green and white balloons.
Despite a season of numerous injuries and busy schedules, the team persevered and found ways to improve their skills in each game, leading up to the finals.
“I never imagined we would win first in the league, but everyone’s hard work really paid off and won us the championship,” sophomore Esther Wang said.
After their win, the JV girls changed into homemade Senior Night shirts to support the volleyball seniors and the varsity match. They then entered the gym with green and white pom poms, cheering on the varsity team. Others in the crowd also arrived with their own posters for the senior players, who received bouquets and applause.
The team improved from last year, when the JV girls had won second in the league, and ended the season strongly on a six-game winning streak.
Cheryl Liu is an assistant photo editor of TALON yearbook. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite...
Cindy Liu, Academics Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior and has been on staff for four years. Her favorite part of journalism is being able to...