![“[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)
Varsity Boys’ Volleyball Loses 3-0 to Monta Vista
Sean Youn (11) prepares to serve the ball. Varsity Boys’ lost 3-0 against Monta Vista on Monday.
The Varsity boys’ volleyball team lost 3-0 to the Monta Vista Matadors on Monday at the Blackford gym.
The Eagles were neck and neck with Monta Vista throughout the first set, losing 28-26. The team fell behind during the second and third sets, ending with final scores of 25-16 and 25-20 respectively.
“We should’ve been more energetic. We played really well, but we fell just a bit short,” team member Jeremiah Anderson said (11).
Monta Vista is currently ranked #5 in the league while the Eagles are ranked close behind. The rivalry led to a tough match between the two teams.
“We’re currently ranked 8th in CCS out of all schools, so we’re among the section’s best teams of all high schools” said Upper School Athletic Director and Varsity volleyball coach Dan Molin.
Throughout the game, the crowd was extremely supportive, cheering loudly for the boys on the court. Kevin Moss (12) and Sean Knudsen (12) were especially animated, encouraging students to cheer on the Eagles.
“[Students] should come out and watch games because they’re really fun, the games get really close, and it’s really fun to cheer your team on,” Kevin said. “The Harker bench is really funny, they do funny things so it’s fun to watch them too.”
On the sidelines, members of the boys’ volleyball team echoed the enthusiasm of the crowd. Seniors Jithin Vellian, Gaurav Kumar, Huck Vaughan, and Samir Chaudhry led their teammates sitting on the bench in cheering loudly for their team during the game.
The boys play Monta Vista again at Monta Vista High School on May 7 at 6:45 p.m.
Kshithija “KJ” Mulam (12) is the Winged Post Editor-in-Chief. Serving as the Winged Post News Editor in her junior year, Winged Post Photo Editor in...