![“[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 advances to CCS semifinals
Varsity girls’ volleyball won 3-1 against Sacred Heart Prep in a CCS Quarterfinals game yesterday, advancing the girls to CCS Semifinals.
The Eagles took an early lead and won both the first and second sets 25-16 and 25-17 but fell behind in the third set with a 21-25 loss. The Eagles regained their lead in the middle of the fourth set with a 25-20 win.
“I’m feeling very good about the teams’ chances in CCS,” said Head Coach Theresa Smith. “We got a good seed and a good draw so we are set up to do well.”
This past season, the team ranked in the top 15 teams from Bay Area High Schools, which it was last able to do in 2007. The team automatically advanced past the first round of CCS to the Quarterfinals due to its second seed in the league.
The girls ended the regular season as co-champions of the league with nine wins and only one loss in league and a 16-8 season record overall.
“The season’s been going great. It was kind of a rough start because we weren’t winning a lot of games,” Taylor Iantosca (10) said. “We were playing a lot of tough teams to prep us for league, but once league came, we won everything but one game.”
During the game, the stands were packed with teachers, parents, students and fans of both teams. Parents and students from both Sacred Heart Prep and Harker waved signs to cheer for their respective teams. Many Harker fans brandished green and white pompoms, which were handed out at the entrance of the gym, as a sign of support.
The audience was actively involved in the game, joining the seniors in their chants of “Go Eagles!” and cheering on the girls through all four sets.
“[The game] is pretty close. It’s exciting, but it’s pretty close,” said Rakesh Gandhi, parent of varsity volleyball player Ria Gandhi (10). “Everybody’s playing great, I think they’re doing their best.”
The Eagles now advance to the Semifinals Round where they will play Soquel High School, which is ranked third in the league right below Harker. The girls will face off against Soquel on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Notre Dame-Belmont High School.
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...