![“[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 boys volleyball team celebrates senior night, sweeps Saratoga 3-0
Varsity boys volleyball huddles in a group cheer before the game to excite the team. The eagles beat Saratoga High School 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19.
May 12, 2022
The varsity boys volleyball team defeated Saratoga High School 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19 on Senior Night at home last Friday at 6:45 p.m.
Head coach Zachary Mattson emceed the senior night ceremony, recognizing each senior before calling their families up for a group photo. During the ceremony, younger teammates gave speeches congratulating seniors Kai Due, Andrew Chen, Elvis Han, John Zeng, Raymond Xu, Sujith Pakala and Vishnu Kannan.
“One of the biggest moments of the season was when we beat Campolindo [High School] at the Bellarmine tournament,” Vishnu said. “They were ranked sixth in the nation, had two [Division 1] recruits [and] their whole starting lineup [was over six feet tall]. We’re a relatively small team, so it was a lot of fun to go out and beat them.”
Vishnu started the first set with three consecutive service aces. The Eagles started to lose momentum, and Saratoga tied the game at 15-15. Harker’s momentum started to wane as hits fell just out of their reach. The team persevered with Kyle Johnson (10) scoring the set-winning point off of a block.
The second set began with Harker falling behind, and when the score reached 12-15, Mattson reenergized the team with a speech about strategy during a timeout. The Eagles came out of the break with smoother communication in their blocking and pulled the final score to 25-23.
Varsity team member Aaron Guo (9) reflected on the team’s growth this season as well as how he quickly found acceptance among his older peers.
“I think our team has grown a lot [even though] we have a lot of players [in] their first season playing volleyball,” Aaron said. “I’ve been a club player for a couple years now, so I’m a little bit more experienced, but I think all our new players have gotten a lot better this season.”
In the third set, the goal differential was never beyond four points, but as the game went on the Eagles’ defense began to decline. Mattson called for another timeout halfway through when the score was 12-16. Unlike the second set, the team was unable to close the gap, ending the set with a final score of 21-25.
Harker made a comeback in the fourth set as they quickly pulled ahead and ended the set with a score of 25-19. According to varsity team captain Tyler Beede (11), the atmosphere in the gym, both from the team and the spectators, helped maintain the players’ intensity.
“I think the strength that we had [for this game] was bringing all the energy that we had,” Tyler said. “Even the crowd was joining in. It was a really fun experience with all our seniors out there at possibly the last game [of the season].”
During this season, the seniors became mentors to their younger teammates. Aaron found the transition into varsity as smooth and enjoyable.
“[The seniors] taught me [that] it’s mostly [about] my mental game when I’m not playing the best,” Aaron said. “They’re always there to lift [us] up.”
Prior to the varsity game, the junior varsity boys volleyball team beat Saratoga in two sets. The team started off strong with Jack Shen (10) gaining points with his serves, but the score was tied a couple minutes in. The team still pulled their strategy together with a few good plays and ended the set at 25-22.
The second set started similarly to the first, with the score beginning in a tie of 1-1. The team briefly fell behind, but after a battle against Saratoga for points, they ended the set with a hit, the score 25-17.
“[W]e definitely pulled through in the end,” junior varsity team member Leo Sobcyzn (9) said. “[We need to work] on maturity and focus level during practice and during games.”
The varsity team won their first CCS match against Prospect on Monday 25-21, 25-23, 25-9 but lost their quarterfinal game in three sets to Carmel on Tuesday, so they will not continue on to semifinals. Regardless, the team appreciated the opportunity to celebrate their seniors and qualify for CCS.
