![“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)
Varsity girls volleyball defeated Pinewood High School 25-15, 25-16 and 27-25 on Sept. 17.
Eagles trailed at the start of the first set, but setter Brooke Kubose (11) executed a nine-point serving run that pulled Harker ahead to 13-7 — an advantage the team continued to build on with solid blocks and hits.
After Eagles gained a lead of 24-14 through three more rounds, outside hitter Elie Ahuwalia (11) ended the set with a kill, one out of her seven during the match.
The Eagles struggled to return the Panthers’ serves in the beginning of the second set but pulled ahead with another serving run from Brooke. Libero and team captain Nohra Mehanna (12) dove to save the ball, setting the stage for stronger offensive plays. Middle hitter Eden Kelly (11) made a kill that prompted another Pinewood time out, and outside hitter Divya Bhupathi (10) ended the set with a kill: 25-16.
“The third set was stressful because we were up for the whole game, and then we went neck and neck,” Divya said. “We were inconsistent at the start, but then we started finding our rhythm.”
Early in the third set, Pinewood’s strong serves and hits wore down Harker’s defense and gained the Panthers a five point lead. Setter Keira Chang (11) scored the team’s first offensive point with a dump. Kills from opposite hitter Stephanie Bossalina (12) and defense specialist Aline Grinspan (11) narrowed the point gap. A tool from Divya brought the score to 11-12 and allowed the team to tie Pinewood 15-15.
With every offensive point Pinewood scored, Harker reacted with kills and swiftly regained possession of the ball. Outside hitter Navya Samuel (12) executed a line shot that brought the score to 26-25, and the Eagles won the match with a final kill by Elie.
“My daughter got the final point,” Elie’s mother Jennifer Ragazzo said. “It was exciting because all the other students were cheering too, so there was a lot more spirit. The team did very well, especially because everyone got a chance to play.”
Navya praised the team’s resilience and grit throughout the game, especially when the third set went into overtime.
“In the beginning of each of the sets, we were down a significant amount, but we didn’t continue to let the gap widen between us,” Navya said. “We were able to fight our way back to the top and play our game. We didn’t make too many mistakes, and while it was close, I’m glad we were able to pull it together.”
Varsity girls volleyball currently holds a 4-4 overall record and will play an away game against Castilleja on Sept. 24.
