![“[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 Soquel to advance to CCS finals
Varsity girls’ volleyball defeated Soquel 3-2 in the CCS semifinals game yesterday at Notre Dame Belmont, allowing the girls to advance to the CCS Finals for the first time since 2007.
The girls won the first two sets 25-19 and 27-25, but Soquel tied the game up, winning the third and fourth sets 22-25 and 23-25. The Eagles won the match after defeating Soquel in the final set 15-5.
“I feel like it’s unreal. When we won that game, I felt like all our hard work was for that moment,” right side hitter Lindsey Trinh (10) said. “We played well as a team in the first two sets, and although our service receive was off in the third and fourth [sets], we really pulled it together in the fifth, and that’s when it matters most.”
Harker provided transportation and the entry fee, allowing several fans, consisting of students and teachers, to come to the game in Belmont. The fans were given green and silver pompoms to help support the team. The Harker Eagle mascot made a short appearance as well.
“I went to the game to support my favorite team,” spectator Shikhar Dixit (12) said. “They played incredibly and showed us the power of communication and team spirit. Everybody should come out to the finals.”
The girls will play against Notre Dame Belmont in the CCS finals on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Independence High School gymnasium.
Varun Baldwa is a senior and Managing editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Varun's fourth year on staff. In his free time, Varun enjoys volunteering, listening...
Alyssa Amick (12) is the Co- Editor in Chief of Harker Aquila. She has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite part of...