![“[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 team falls to Mercy High School on Senior Night
Tara Ozdemir (12) and Brooklyn Cicero (12) hold up signs made for their Senior Night. The team will play at Notre Dame this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
October 24, 2021
The varsity girls volleyball team lost to Mercy High School during their Senior Night on Friday at home 23-25, 18-25, 22-25 in their last home game of the season.
The volleyball team held a ceremony pre-game to honor seniors Leyla Artun, Brooklyn Cicero, Camilla Lindh, Tara Ozdemir and Liza Shchegrov. Varsity volleyball head coach Theresa Smith introduced each senior and their family members, handing them flowers and gift bags.
“I was on varsity all four years, so this gym is like a second home,” team captain and libero Tara said. “[Knowing] I won’t be here anymore, it’s definitely weird.”
After Rachel Ning (11) served the ball to start the game, the teams competed closely in the first set, with the lead constantly switching between the two schools, and no side gaining more than a three-point margin. Harker saved a set point at 22-24 with a kill, but after a block deflected out of bounds, Mercy took the first set 25-23.
Mercy gained a four-point lead early in the second set at 1-5. After some aggressive playing by Harker, they tied the game at 13-13, but Mercy regained their lead and ultimately took the second set 25-18.
Harker took an early lead in the third set and capitalized on their momentum to achieve a four-point lead at 11-7. Mercy came back to tie the game at 12-12, and the two teams exchanged leads over the next several points. At 18-18, Mercy pulled ahead to gain two match points at 22-24, taking the final set 25-22 after a Harker error on the final point.
The team now holds an overall record of 5-17 and a league record of 1-8.
“It’s been a rough season as far as wins and losses go,” Coach Smith said. “That being said, the girls have come every day to practice positive, come to every match positive, trying to do the best they can.”
As the season comes to a close, Smith reflects on the seniors’ journey throughout the program.
“This is always the hardest match of the year. We now know we have one match left and then our season is over, so that’s tough,” Smith said. “As always, it’s hard to see the seniors go.”
Sophomore Juhi Madala also reflects on the team’s performance and the fear of making mistakes that impact the team.
“I know this is a repeating pattern for us, but sometimes we let our energy get down,” Juhi said. “In today’s game, it happened in the middle of the second set, but having a crowd brings it back up because there are people cheering for us which makes us feel better.”
The team will travel to Notre Dame High School for their final match of the season this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
