![“[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 Mills High School in four sets in the Zhang Gymnasium on Saturday.
Harker served the first ball and began the game with an aggressive offense. With key hits from defensive specialist Aline Grinspan (11) and outside hitter Elie Ahluwalia (11), they kept the Eagles in the lead throughout the first set, breaking through the Vikings’ defense and dominating the set 25-17.
In the second set, hits from Elie, saves from captain and libero Norah Mehanna (12) and sets by setter Keira Chang (11) kept the score close, but Harker gained a two-point lead of 18-16. With this advantage, the Eagles continued with a streak of aces and blocks, pushing the score to 24-21. After a missed serve from the Vikings, the Eagles won 25-21.
Elie’s mother Jennifer Ragazzo shared her perspective on the Eagles’ strategy after the second set.
“The team’s doing well and they’re working well together,” Ragazzo said. “The Vikings have a really strong outside hitter, so they have to find the holes [in the Vikings defense] when they hit to get kills.”
At the start of the third set, Harker fell behind 2-7, so the coach called a timeout. Outside hitter Divya Bhupathi (10) brought momentum back with powerful hits, and Norah’s quick returns helped the team stay in the game. Harker battled back 9-13, but the Vikings heightened their lead after the Eagles missed serves and failed to block Mills’s crucial hits. The Vikings ultimately won the set 15-25.
Reflecting on the team’s single loss in the third set, outside hitter Navya Samuel (12) acknowledged the challenges they faced despite an early lead.
“The game shows that we can’t just play on cruise control even though we won the first two [sets],” Navya said. “We got a little too confident in the third set, and we didn’t really play our game; we missed some key passes and lost momentum. The Vikings took the momentum and ran with it.”
The Eagles won the first point of the final set against the Vikings with an ace. Elie and middle blocker Emily Mitnick (12) delivered a series of well-placed serves, maintaining a lead for the Eagles. A solid block by middle Eden Kelly (11) and a missed serve by Mills prevented the Vikings from closing the one-point gap. Emily’s crucial final block prompted enthusiasm from the stands and secured the Eagles’ victory 25-23.
Assistant coach Jonathan Schwartz praised the team’s determination to refocus and adjust play styles after the challenging third set.
“The girls really fought through, and I’m very proud of them,” Coach Schwartz said. “Everyone has times where they’re off, but they managed to come back and do their job. [After the third set], I reminded them of what they were able to do, and sometimes that’s all you need — a reminder to know what you are capable of. Once they got that shift, they were ready to go.”
The team currently holds a 9-5 record and plays Pinewood School next on Thursday in an away game.
