![“[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 commenced the 2024 season with a 2-3 loss to Branham High School on Aug. 29. The two teams traded sets during the game, 18-25, 25-21, 17-25, 27-25 and 7-15.
“It was intimidating at first to play such a strong team, but we definitely got into a rhythm,” outside hitter Divya Bhupathi (10) said. “I think what really helped us play well was just how fun it was to compete with such a good team.”
Branham’s heavy offense gained an early lead, but a kill from Divya and a block from middle Emily Mitnick (12) brought the score to 4-3, setting the back-and-forth tone for the game. Harker tried to break a Branham serving run with a timeout at 9-14 but were unsuccessful.
Towards the end of the set, the Eagles shifted to more tools and tips as Branham’s hits began straying out. Harker took another timeout at 17-22 during another Bruins serving run. The Eagles sided out a point later, but lost the set 18-25.
“We communicated a lot more after that first set,” defensive specialist Isabella Wong (9) said. “We noticed where we had mistakes. I’m looking forward to getting better and closer to the team.”
In the second set, neither side held possession for more than three points at a time. Blocks and kills garnered points, shanks and a 16-20 timeout from Branham. The Bruins attempted a comeback but three consecutive sideouts allowed Harker to tie the game count at 1-1.
Though the third set opened with a kill from middle blocker Joyce Zheng (10), Branham regained and ran with the momentum until a missed hit at 15-6. Divya began a streak with kills, bringing Harker to 9-19, 11-19 and 13-22.
Strong defense allowed the Eagles to stay in the game. Head coach Theresa “Smitty” Smith commended the team’s tenacity and their defensive growth, especially with newcomers like Isabella and Joyce.
“You get more nervous in those moments, and so your touches tend to be timid and afraid,” Coach Smith said. “We battled, and we stayed in it where we typically in the past may have folded. I’m as excited as you can be when you lose.”
Points crawled between teams as they rallied back and forth during the fourth set. The first half included a bevy of Branham nets, a 5-5 kill from captain and outside hitter Elie Ahluwalia (11) and a 16-19 double block from setter Keira Chang (11) and Joyce. Harker called a timeout at 12-16, where libero Norah Mehanna (12) reminded the players to play loose and enjoy the fight.
After the Eagles closed a three point gap down to a tie, Branham called a timeout at 21-21 after a Bruins double and again at 23-24. However, kills from Emily and Divya at 24-24 and 25-25 followed by a 26-25 block from Emily won Harker the set and tied the game count at 2-2.
“I think when faced with tight games, remaining calm is really important,” Divya said. “As a freshman last year, I did not try to worry as much about the outcome of games and rather tried my best, so I tried to approach this season with a similar attitude.‘
Branham opened the fifth tiebreaker set with two points and a quickly recovered sideout. Despite a tip from outside hitter Nat Tan (11) bringing the score to 2-3 and a kill from Elie taking the Eagles to 5-9, the Bruins took the win 15-7.
“These [games] are one of those challenges that are really great,” Emily said. “They push you and discover your true potential as a team. This is just the beginning of my final senior season, so I’m really excited to keep on working and building on the past three years.”
The Eagles currently hold a record of 2-2 and play away at Eastside College Prep this Thursday.
