![“[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)
Girls tennis upsets Cupertino as volleyball ends playoff run
Hilari Fan (11) practices with the team at the Blackford tennis courts. The girls next play against Menlo-Atherton in the quarterfinals of the CCS tournament on Thursday.
November 13, 2019
Girls Tennis
The girls’ tennis team upset the Cupertino High Pioneers in the second round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs, winning the crucial matchup 4-3 today afternoon at Cupertino.
The third-seeded Pioneers team were the favorites coming into the match against the unseeded Eagles.
“We were definitely the underdogs coming into today’s match, but we made sure to not let it get in our heads and played our best game without worrying about the result. A lot of us are still in shock about our victory, but in the end, we are just very thankful that our hard work throughout the season finally paid off,” varsity girls tennis player Fonda Hu (11) said.
The girls qualified for the match after they beat Salinas 6-1 in the first round of the playoffs yesterday. They will take on Menlo-Atherton, originally seeded sixth, in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Menlo.
“I think something that is special about the team this year is our determination,” varsity captain Amanda Cheung (12) said. “Moving forward, every match is going to only get tougher so I think we just need to keep the mindset we have right now and not let our guard down while still playing the best we can.”
Girls Volleyball
The girls’ volleyball team fell 25-14, 25-18, 25-15 to the Central Catholic Raiders in the first round of the NorCal Division II State Championships in Modesto today evening.
The 14th-seeded Eagles ended their playoff run against the third-seeded Raiders following a largely successful season, which saw the Eagles win the CCS tournament for the first time in girls volleyball history.
“Coming into CCS was a big thing for us, so to come back [after last year] and to win it all in the finals was a really big thing, and we’re all super excited because Sacred Heart Prep is our league rival,” captain Lauren Beede (12) said following the finals game.
