![“[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 tennis defeats Sacred Heart Prep in CCS matchup
Liza Egorova (9) shakes hands and high-fives some of the girls on the Sacred Heart Prep team during lineup. She wins her number two singles match 6-1. The Harker team won 4-3.
November 15, 2015
The varsity girls tennis team defeated Sacred Heart Prep 4-3 in the second round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs on Nov. 11. Because they were seeded at number eight in the tournament, they did not have to play the first round of matches the previous day. Being seeded number eight is high enough to receive a pass for the day.
All team matches consists of four singles and three doubles matches. The singles are played in the order starting with the best player on the team.
Elizabeth Schick (10), co-captain of the team, won at number three singles in just two sets with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
Number two singles player Liza Egorova (9) was initially down 1-5 in the first set, but then tied the set and eventually win in the tiebreaker with a score of 8-6. Liza’s final scoring was 6-1 in the second set.
Number three doubles team Aliesa Bahri (10) and Kathleen Cheng (10) also won at 6-2, 6-2. Their win against Sacred Heart Prep (SHP) was important because that doubles team was the only opponent that they failed to beat during league match. The number two doubles team of Gloria Guo (10) and Connie Miao (11) won their match with a score of 6-2, 6-1.
“We both felt like we could play a lot better than the last time we faced off with them, Gloria said about herself and Connie. “We told ourselves to just focus on the point and each shot instead of the actual score, and even though we were winning, we didn’t let that get to our heads and become too overconfident.”
All three of the doubles teams had the same strategy. They targeted the weaker opponent and no matter the score, they made sure they stayed calm. They also ensured to use different formations to keep their opponent guessing as to which direction the ball would go.
“In general, both of us played really well today and made few mistakes,” Kathleen said about [herself] and Aliesa. “Our energy was high and after last time’s loss to the same doubles team.”
Throughout the game, Aliesa and Kathleen ensured that they maintained a happy mood.
“In between points, Kathleen and I would be joking around and lifting each other’s spirits, which I think helped us maintain composure during points,” Aliesa said.
Having won a close match with the same opponent previously, Liza did not want to underestimate her opponent.
“All I could do to win this match is work hard and believe in myself,” Liza said. “After I stopped worrying about my game, the score suddenly started to change, and I won the first set 7-6. By the end of this match I understood that you can’t control anything except for how hard you work and how much energy you put into the match.”
Since the girls won the second round of the CCS match, they went on to play in the quarterfinals against Menlo School on Nov. 12, but they lost 1-6. This CCS match was the furthest the girls varsity tennis team has ever advanced.
