![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
JV and varsity girls’ volleyball teams score victories against Westmont
Tiffany Shou (12) jumps to hit the ball during the volleyball game against Westmont High School. The girls went on to win the game in three sets.
September 2, 2017
Both the JV and Varsity girls’ volleyball teams emerged victorious against Westmont High School at home on Thursday.
After going neck and neck with their opponents, the JV team pulled ahead and won the game in two sets, the respective scores being 25-17 and 25-14.
“[In] our first game we made a few mistakes, but we bounced back eventually,” Allison Jia (10) said. “Of course there’s always stuff we can improve on, but overall I think the girls did a really good job.”
This is their second game in the new gym. For varsity, this is their third game in in the new Athletics Center.
“I think the first match we played we were tripping on the new facilities,” Middle School Athletics Director and varsity coach Theresa Smith said. “It was a little difficult, but we definitely started to get a little more confident.”
The varsity team took the game in three sets with score of 25-22, 25-17 and 25-17.
“I’m really, really proud of our team,” captain Lauren Napier (12) said. “This is the first game where we were able to take it in three sets, which is really strong.”
During the game, the team was experimenting with more plays, such as a rip, which is a short set to the outside hitter.
“I’m really happy with them,” Smith said. “I saw things we were practicing yesterday in the game today.”
The Eagles took the lead early on, and was strong serving throughout the match, including aces from Emily Cheng (10) and Lauren.
They were up 20-19 when the Eagles called a timeout, and then closed out the game with a score of 25-22.
Throughout the second set the eagles once again gained the lead early on due to strong serving and blocks by Tiffany Shou (12).
Harker ended the final set with a score of 25-17, the winning point scored by sophomore Ashley Jazbeck.
Their next game is an away game against Saratoga High School next Tuesday.
