![“[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 loses to Branham in three sets
Isabella Spradlin (12) jumps up to hit the ball against the Branham Bruins. Isabella is one of five seniors on the team this season and has played on the varsity team since her sophomore year.
August 25, 2017
The varsity girls’ volleyball team lost to the Branham High School Bruins on Friday, marking the first ever official match in the new gym and events center.
Tryouts started Aug. 7 for the team, and summer practice lasted two weeks. There were six new players on the team this year. The 14 varsity volleyball athletes began using the gym for practice on Aug. 21, the Monday after the gym’s Aug. 18 opening ceremony.
This was the girls’ first preseason match in the gym, although they had scrimmaged Saint Francis the week before.
Before the game, athletics director Dan Molin announced a ceremonial “first” serve for the gym, in which the girls served over the net in unison.
The Eagles lost the match in three sets, with respective scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-17.
“It was a really exciting game, and I’m so happy that a lot of my friends and a lot of other people just came and supported us,” Karen Krause (11) said. “The gym is awesome, and I cannot wait for an even greater season.”
Because of the new gym, spectators and athletes no longer have to travel to the Harker Blackford campus for games.
“There was a lot of good energy and I liked how everyone was getting into the game. The crowd was into it,” spectator Dylan Williams (9) said.
The team will play again against Lynbrook at home on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
