![“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)
Girls tennis ends historic season at CCS semifinals
Anushka Mehrotra (9) prepares to hit the ball during her singles match in CCS semifinals. After an impressive performance this season, the girls tennis team lost to St. Francis High School 5-2 on Saturday, Nov. 16
November 16, 2019
After an impressive performance this season, the girls tennis team lost to St. Francis High School in the semifinals matchup on Saturday, Nov. 16, marking the end of their run in the CCS playoffs. The girls made Harker history this year, as this is the furthest any girls or boys tennis team has ever advanced.
The Eagles previously defeated Cupertino and Menlo-Atherton in the last two rounds of CCS, both unexpected victories, especially with Cupertino being seated third in the entire league. Their Cinderella run ended in the semifinals, where despite putting up a tough fight, the girls were only able to win two out of the three doubles matches and lost all of the singles rounds, finishing with a 5-2 loss.
“I’m really proud of everyone. Today was our most challenging match and even though it didn’t really go how we hoped it would, I think everyone still put in their best effort,” co-captain Gina Partridge (12) said. “Honestly, this year’s a great year as a senior. We made tennis history and also the bond that I have with everyone here is the closest it’s ever been.”
Regardless of the loss, the team was cheered on by fellow students, teachers and faculty throughout the game and, along with the crowd, able to celebrate their last time playing with seniors Amanda Cheung, Rachel Broweleit and Gina.
“I thought [the girls] did really well,” Mihir Sharma (12), who came out to support his friends on the team, said. “Their opponents in singles were really good, but I thought they did a great job. It was good to watch.”
Head coach John Fruttero credits the players for their growth this season, persevering through injuries and self-doubt to come out on top over other very competitive schools.
“I’m not sure how the team was going to come together — we had a lot of new girls and underclasswomen — but luckily we had some very good team leadership,” he said afterwards. “We were able to overcome rivals that we haven’t beaten in three or four years, like Sacred Heart, and we got one step closer this year [to being at the top of the league]. The girls have a lot to be proud of.”
