![“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)
Varsity volleyball secures win on senior night
The seniors of the varsity volleyball team pose together with their families after the ceremony. This will be the girls’ last home game this season, as they move on to compete in playoffs.
October 29, 2019
During a memorable senior night game last Thursday, the varsity girls volleyball team defeated the Notre Dame Regents in three sets, improving their league record to 8-4 and their overall record to 16-8. Cheered on by bleachers filled with students, faculty and parents, the players were able to maintain a strong lead throughout the matches, earning 25-18, 25-14 and 25-19 respectively.
Seniors Lauren Beede, Emily Cheng, Anya Gert, Ashley Jazbec, Carolyn Lu and Tiffany Zhao were honored prior to the game in a special ceremony organized by the rest of the team. Each senior walked with their family members through a human tunnel made by the junior varsity and freshman players. They received flowers and candy necklaces from their teammates before listening to a speech from head coach Theresa “Smitty” Smith.
Above the bleachers, posters were laid out for attendees to write a short message to any of the seniors, and cut-outs of the girls’ faces were also available to wave in support. Players and parents also put up several decorations throughout the gym, as everyone worked hard to organize a successful night for the girls’ last home game this season.
“I’ve played with some of these seniors since seventh grade, and they’ve been my role models for volleyball and so much more since then,” Emma Dionne, a junior on the team, said before the ceremony. “It really means a lot to me that I can truly give back to them for everything they’ve done for me, like guiding me throughout high school and always supporting me.”
With the seniors playing for the majority of the game, every hit, dig or ace the girls made further fed the crowd’s enthusiasm and excitement throughout the night.
“I come to every game. I love all my seniors equally — they’re the best — and [I am here to] support [my] class,” Griffin Crook (12) said after the match.
Carolyn adds how much she appreciated the cheers of support from friends and family, which encouraged the team to play harder and raised the energy level during the three sets. Yet, she admits that she is still unable to fully process that this game was one of her last times playing volleyball as a high-schooler.
“Senior night is historically one of our most important nights of the season. It was super exciting for us personally because I don’t think many of us have wrapped our head around it so far,” she said. “It just hasn’t hit yet that we’re seniors.”
The girls went on to beat Castilleja High School 3-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and will be competing in the first round of CCS playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. Information about their opponents or the location of the match have not yet been released.
