![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Junior varsity boys volleyball team loses to Monta Vista in three-set thriller
The team races to hug one another as they jump up and down in excitement, after their comeback in the second set. The Eagles played two close sets after their initial setback in the first.
March 29, 2022
The junior varsity boys volleyball team lost to the Monta Vista Matadors at home, 12-25, 25-23, 13-15 on Mar. 16.
The Eagles fell behind dramatically in the first set, losing 12-25. The team rebounded in the second set, pulling ahead of the Matadors for a hardfought 25-23 victory.
“My favorite part about today’s game is probably coming back from the big deficit in the first set,” libero Jordan Labio (10) said. “But we still really wanted to win in the second and third sets, when it was really close, and we actually won the second set, so I’m really proud of that.
Monta Vista ultimately prevailed in the third set, but the team demonstrated their resilience and competitive edge.
“We started playing smarter the second set. I loved it. We adapted,” junior varsity boys volleyball head coach Artem Kosikov said to the team after the game.
Defensive specialist Jacob Smith (9) believes the team can communicate more during games.
“We can get better [at] communication, and be a lot more in sync with each other,” Jacob said.
Kosikov, who is in his first year coaching at Harker, ended the pep talk by praising his team for their unrelenting effort and willingness to swing away in tight situations.
“We went out, we swung at the ball,” Kosikov said. “So keep your heads up, the losses and wins don’t really matter, what matters is you go out there and hit that ball. You kids showed to me that you wanted to win, so this was a win in my book.”
The team then lost 0-2 to Homestead on March 18, 1-2 to Los Gatos on March 23 and 0-2 to Cupertino this past Friday. They will face Lynbrook tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.
