![“[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)
Junior varsity girls volleyball team bests Pinewood in two sets
Junior varsity girls volleyball libero Aline Grinespan (9) waits for the ball during their game on Thursday. The Eagles defeated Pinewood in two sets, starting their league record at 1-0.
September 19, 2022
The junior varsity girls volleyball team defeated Pinewood School 25-21, 25-10 at a home game on Thursday, starting their league record at 1-0.
The girls began the match with the serve, but lost the point to Pinewood’s team, who went on a serving run until Harker called a timeout at 0-5. The Eagles then regained momentum in offense and serving, pressuring Pinewood to call a timeout at 9-10. Pinewood kept a lead at 10-15, but Harker challenged them in a sequence of long rallies.
Harker finally caught up to Pinewood, bringing the score to 18-18 and taking the lead at 22-21. Alison Yang (10) served two aces to gamepoint at 24-21, thus forcing Pinewood to call a timeout.
Assistant Coach Danielle Buis reflected on the match and hoped to continue refining the team’s gameplay.
“We’re right at the point where the fundamentals are really well-rounded, and we can move on to doing really strategic plays,” Buis said. “I think we’ve got a lot to work on, and the next time we see Pinewood, hopefully the score will be even better.”
In the second set, though Pinewood served first, the Eagles sided out quickly, gaining several points and stopping Pinewood from scoring any. After Pinewood called a timeout at 6-0, Harker continued to dominate the game, and libero Aline Grinspan (9) served six aces in a row, solidifying the team’s lead at 16-4.
“I’m looking forward to just practicing with the team, getting better and improving our teamwork skills,” Aline said.
Although Harker lost the serve at 20-8, they quickly rebounded to win the game.
The junior varsity girls volleyball team plays next at Woodside Priory at 4 p.m tomorrow.
