![“[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 celebrates their seniors, loses to Menlo
Senior Allison Cartee jumps to block the ball. Menlo won the first set 25-13.
October 22, 2018
Varsity girls volleyball lost their senior night match 13-25, 19-25, 20-25 against Menlo after honoring their seniors in the gym last Tuesday. Their overall record is now 13-11.
Prior to the match, large portraits of the six seniors, Donna Boucher, Nishka Ayyar, Katrina Liou, Jessica Pan, Allison Cartee and Srija Gadiraju, were put on the gym walls beside the court. Above the stands, audience members had the opportunity to leave comments for the individual seniors on a sheet of paper, and throughout the match, spectators were welcome to treat themselves to a slice of cake or candy.
Senior ceremonies began around 6:40 p.m., slightly later than originally planned. Each senior, along with their family and friends, ran under an arch formed by the JV girls volleyball team and the Varsity Cheerleaders. Upon exiting the tunnel, each senior was greeted by photographers and had a garland placed around their necks by another team member.
“I just want to thank [the seniors] for creating the team that we grew to be over the course of the season,” outside hitter Anya Gert (11) said. “They’re honestly such a special group of people and the program won’t be the same without them.”
The match began shortly afterward. The Eagles started their first set strong, scoring the first point of the game and triggering roars from the audience. Menlo fought back, however, scoring a series of points with a combination of devastating serves and a strong defense. They soon secured a strong lead, despite the Eagles clawing back three consecutive points in the middle of the first set. After two Harker timeouts, Menlo won the first set 25-13.
Harker rebounded at the start of the second set, scoring four points back to back. Menlo soon redeemed themselves, tying the score 4 – 4 in little time. After a prolonged rally, Menlo scored the last point of the set, winning 25-19.
The third and final set proved challenging for the Eagles with Menlo maintaining a steady lead throughout. Only in the last few minutes of the set did the Eagles gain some traction, scoring a series of points, but it proved too little too late. Menlo won the last set 25-20, giving them a 3-0 final score against Harker.
Despite losing this match, senior Jessica Pan believes the team can overcome their defeat and progress to the Central Coast Selectionals (CCS) nonetheless.
“Even though we lost this game, I know our team has the potential to win similar games from now on,” Jessica said. “Hopefully we can win CCS and hopefully the audience turns out just like how they did this game.”
The team’s next game will be away against Mercy High School San Francisco at 6:30 p.m. on October 23.
