![“[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 girls volleyball competed in their second scrimmage of the season against Wilcox High School in the Zhang Athletic Center on August 27.
Both teams used this scrimmage as an opportunity to practice their skills before their first league games occurred.
Early in the game, the Eagles struggled with their serving abilities within the bounds. In the third and fourth sets, they fell into a rhythm through an improvement in their serves with a combination of their strong rebounding defense.
Team captain and libero Norah Mehanna (12) emphasized how the team can improve from their mistakes and strengthen not only their game skills but also the team’s relationship with one another.
“We were able to work on team bonding and get those connections working together, because a third of the team is new this year,” Norah said. “You can only learn when you make mistakes, so we’re trying to work on improving our serving.”
Varsity girls volleyball head coach Theresa Smith noted the team will need to continue working on their serves but praised the team dynamic and the role that older players are taking for the team.
“The seniors are taking charge and helping out the younger kids and new kids on the team,” Smith said. “The game of volleyball is all about teamwork, because three people touch the ball before it goes over, and it’s a specific kind of dance that you play. So communication, knowing who’s supposed to take the ball, where the ball’s supposed to go, those kinds of things are important in the team.”
Junior Sophie Pellet, who attended the game to support outside hitter Nat Tan (11), noticed the team’s dedication to the sport.
“They’re willing to dive into the ground just for the ball and you’ve got to appreciate that,” Sophie said. “Sometimes if they didn’t dive for that ball, they’d lose. But any time that they see an opportunity to win, they go for it, even if it means losing a limb.”
The varsity girls volleyball team will face Scotts Valley High School in an away game on Sept. 5.
