![“[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 girls’ volleyball beats Sacred Heart on senior night
Shreya Dixit (12) anticipates the opposing team’s play. This is the last game of her volleyball career at Harker.
The varsity girls’ volleyball team won against Sacred Heart Preparatory 3-1 tonight in the last match of their regular season, finishing as co-champions of the league.
Last night’s match also represented the end of two seniors’ Harker volleyball careers: Shreya Dixit and Katy Sanchez.
Before the start of the match, Shreya and Katy were honored by Coach Theresa “Smitty” Smith, head coach for varsity girls volleyball.
Coach Smitty described the girls as dedicated team leaders.
“Shreya has developed into an outstanding Division one level volleyball player through her hard work and dedication to both club and school volleyball,” Coach Smitty said. “Katy has also earned a ton of respect from her teammates through her selfless dedication to team.”
After being swarmed with flowers, leis and hugs from their teammates, the girls were cheered on by a crowd of students and faculty.
The varsity team, in their white jerseys, greeted Sacred Heart Preparatory, boosted by the extra support from their friends and family.
In the first game, Harker defeated their opponent and was unfazed by Sacred Heart’s one timeout. The final score of the game was 25-13.
In the second game, the competition between the two teams intensified. Harker and Sacred Heart stayed neck and neck, even after two timeouts. As the two teams reached the last five points though, Sacred Heart pulled through, and Harker lost 21-25.
The crowd was disappointed by the team’s loss, but only provided further support for the team. Everytime Shreya or Katy made a successful kill or block, people would scream wildly, even chanting the “Color Shout” a few times.
During the third game, Harker regained their momentum and won 25-12.
In the fourth game, they quickly racked up several points in the start, but their lead began to dwindle as both teams approached 20 points. In the last moments of the game, the girls earned seven consecutive points, leading to their 25-15 victory.
With a standing ovation from the crowd, tearful teammates, friends and family gathered around Shreya and Katy to celebrate their volleyball careers at Harker.
The girls were both reluctant to leave the team that they had bonded with throughout the season.
“I’m probably gonna miss being a part of a team the most because they’ve really become like a second family for me.” Katy Sanchez (12) said. “It’s gonna be really hard to let that go.”
Though this is Harker’s last game of the season, the team looks forward to advancing in Central Coast Section championships.
Kaitlin Hsu (11) is the Editor-in-Chief of Wingspan Magazine. In her freshmen year, she was a reporter, and in her sophomore year, she was the Features...