![“[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 crushed Eastside College Prep 25-2 and 25-0 on Oct. 8.
Setter Emma Lee (10) opened the first set with a nine-point serving run, leading Eastside to call a timeout at 5-0. After missed serves on both sides brought the score to 12-2, libero Alexis Leo (10) carried out a 13-point run, racking up the remaining points in just 14 minutes.
In the second set, Emma dominated with a 25-point serving run, which, coupled with Harker’s strong hits, prevented Eastside from scoring. After Emma scored the final point to close out the half-hour match, both the crowd and team erupted with cheers. Emma explained how she managed to maintain her consistency throughout the set.
“This might be contradictory compared to what [people] may think, but I was actually pretty calm for most of the set,” Emma said. “I tried to keep my cool. I just went back to the basics, repeating the same motion over and over, until the last serve.”
While Emma kept her composure, her teammates in the game and on the sidelines bubbled with anticipation, even chanting “buzz, buzz, buzz” with each point.
Middle hitter Abby Liu (9) reflected on the tension she felt during the second set.
“I was really nervous the entire time,” middle hitter Abby Liu (9) said. “If we lost one point, we wouldn’t be able to buzz our coach and we really wanted that. I don’t know if he’ll let us dye his hair, but maybe if we can convince him, we will.”
The following day, the team gathered at a picnic table in the orchard, with phones ready to capture the monumental moment. Emma, whose serves led the team to victory, used the razor first. For the next 15 minutes, the rest of the team buzzed their coach’s hair one by one. He shared the origin of that bold dare, recalling a conversation at the start of the year.
“Believe it or not, it was my idea,” Coach Ward said. “Early in the season we talked about what would happen if we won 25-0, and I told them on a whim that I’d buzz my head. And here we are.”
The Eagles currently hold a 5-1 overall record and will play an away game against Castilleja on Oct. 17.
