![“[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)
The girls Varsity tennis team faced Menlo for the first time this season in a match at Blackford. Although both teams started the match as undefeated, the Eagles lost the game 2-5, falling to 6-1 this season.
The team competed in four single matches and three doubles matches during the game. Sahithya Prakash (11) and Arden Hu (10) won their doubles match 2-0, and despite an injury, Dora Tzeng (11) also won her singles match 2-0. However, doubles partners Chau Nguyen (12) and Izzy Gross (9) as well as Sylvie Dobrota (12) and Indica Sur (12) lost their matches, while Daria Karakoulka (12), Katia Mironova (11), and Jenny Chen (12) lost their singles matches in neck-to-neck sets.
“Everyone’s been doing pretty well,” Sophia Luo (9) said. “Dora did really well in her match. [Due to her injury], she does her underhand serve and she can still win, so we’re all really proud of her.”
However, Sophia believes that the group can still improve on their “mental and emotional strength,” as well as their concentration level during games.
During Thursday’s matches, many team members believed that they had a good chance to defeat Menlo because of their teamwork.
“We did really well in our Santa Catalina tournament […] and we’re really pumped up,” Sahithya said. “Our team has been playing really well, and we’re on our A game.”
In spite of their loss to Menlo, the team still maintained high spirits.
“We did our best, and Menlo is a really strong opponent,” Stephanie Huang (9) said.
The girls team will face Menlo again at an away game on October 23.
![Senior Gabe Sachse and sophomore Shaurya Jain hug after winning the game. “I don’t want to say goodbye because [the seniors] are my friends outside of baseball as well,” Shaurya said. “Either way, I wanted to go all out for the seniors.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/53-KAT_4240-e1747776384650-1200x778.jpg)
