![“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)
![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)
The junior varsity girls volleyball team defeated Pinewood 25-8, 25-21 in a home game on Sept. 12.
The Eagles started the first set strong, leaving little space for the Panthers to catch up. Pinewood missed the first serve and outside hitter Riya Samuel (9) served an ace for the second point, followed by six consecutive kills from other teammates. Pinewood managed to earn two points, but libero Alexis Leo (9) served two more aces in a row, bringing the score to 11-2. Continuing the Eagles’ pace, setter Emma Lee (9) set backwards to opposite hitter Stephanie Bossolina (11), who scored a kill for 12-2. Setter Yifan Li (11) and outside hitter Cynthia Wang (9) closed out the set with two aces for the Eagles at 25-8.
During the second and final set, both teams spared no effort in keeping the ball airborne. Outside hitter Alison Yang (11) tipped the ball over the net for 1-1, followed by two consecutive aces for 3-1. The Panthers caught up to the Eagles at a score of 15-13, leading to a time-out so the Eagles could briefly rally each others’ spirits. After the intermission, the two teams continued to grapple fiercely with each other, tying at 16-16 and later 21-21. In a riveting moment, middle hitter Eden Kelly (10) tipped the ball over the net to earn a kill, and Alison added to the winning streak by scoring two more aces. The teams engaged in a final back-and-forth before the set ultimately ended at 25-21.
Head junior varsity volleyball coach Danielle Buis expressed her excitement about the win, especially with some of the players situated in new positions. Under Buis’s instruction, Emma played as an opposite hitter instead of her usual position as a starting setter. Though it was an unexpected change, her other teammates supported her warmly.
“I talked to Emma last minute in the middle of the first game, and she just walked right out of there and did a phenomenal job,” Buis said. “The folks who have been here longer were able to bring a sense of consistency so that players who were playing new positions could try new things, make mistakes and learn from that.”
Emma performed better than she thought she would, despite her initial nerves. In the first set, she was especially proud of her backset to Stephanie.
“I was a bit hesitant at first, because I’m not really used to the rotations,” Emma said. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates.”
The team, which currently holds a 3-0 league record, will play at The King’s Academy on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
