![“[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)
Junior varsity girls volleyball defeated Pinewood 25-10, 25-6 in the Zhang Gymnasium on Sept. 17.
Setter Emma Lee (10) started the game with a five point serving streak, Pinewood gaining only one point in between. The Eagles eventually reached a 12-1 advantage after a seven point streak. Defense specialist Zoya Khera (9) scored three points in a row, and a tip from Emma brought the score to 16-3. The first set ended with the Eagles leading 25-10.
Outside hitter Aria Chadha (9) appreciated the team’s communication throughout the game, and believed it helped them score consistently.
“As a team, we bonded really well,” Aria said. “We really mesh well on the court; the setter-hitter connection and passes are always right to the center. We had a positive attitude going into the game.”
Pinewood started off the second set with a point, but Harker rebounded by gaining three consecutive points. After a long rally, the score stood at 8-3. A hit by opposite hitter Eden Ahluwalia (9) and two aces by defense specialist Minal Jalil (11) improved Harker’s score to 11-3.
After Pinewood scored three points, putting their score at 6-16, the Eagles rebounded with a seven point streak. Outside hitter Ashley Zhou (9)’s serve led the team to close the second set 25-6. Middle blocker Kimi Yashar (11) credited the team’s success to keeping a high energy level on the court.
“We have a strong defensive team, and everyone gets really hyped up when we play a good point,” Kimi said. “We stayed energized throughout the whole game, and we did a good job of coming together after every point and doing higher level offensive plays.”
Though head coach Danielle Buis was absent and two players were out due to injuries, the team kept an advantage throughout the game. Assistant coach Mason Ward commended the team’s performance and the significant margin in both sets.
“Our serving was very strong along with our communication and energy, which played a key role in us getting a victory,” Coach Ward said. “Now, we want to just keep winning and having fun. That’s all that volleyball’s about.”
Junior varsity girls volleyball is set to play a home game against Crystal Springs Uplands on Thursday.
