![“[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 triumphed over Notre Dame – San Jose in a three-set match 25-21, 25-15, 25-12 during senior night in the Zhang Gymnasium on Oct. 14.
The team celebrated their seven seniors in a pre-game ceremony at 6 p.m. Players walked onto the court with family members and received gifts from teammates as Head Coach Theresa Smith shared appreciation for the seniors.
“They have been an integral part of the success of this program for the past several years,” Smith said. “They have upheld the culture of our volleyball program and have done so with grace, humility and integrity. We really thank them for their great personalities and dedication to the program.”
Setter Brooke Kubose (12) opened the game with an ace. After both teams exchanged serves and volleys, middle blocker Eden Kelly (12) and co-captain and setter Keira Chang (12) blocked consecutive shots at the net to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead. Kills by co-captain and outside hitter Elie Ahluwalia (12) and opposite hitter Nat Tan (12) extended Harker’s advantage to 15-12. After out-of-bound hits from the Regents, Elie responded with two consecutive aces, bringing the score to 20-16. A final ace from defensive specialist Alexis Leo (11) ended the set 25-21.
Spectator Sharmila Banerjee came to support her daughter opposite hitter Ruhi Banerjee (12) and noted the team’s energy in the first set.
“The first set set the tone for the match,” Banerjee said. “It might not have been their most technical performance, but the energy was incredible. You could feel how much they were playing for each other and the crowd. That momentum, especially after Alexis’s final serve, is going to carry straight into the second set.”
Elie began the second set with a block, and multiple kills from Nat and outside hitter Divya Bhupathi (11) secured Harker an early 7-2 lead. The Regents won the next several points, closing the gap to 7-6. Co-captain and libero Aline Grinspan (12) scored an ace, and middle blocker Eden Ahluwalia (10) and Divya’s kills extended the lead to 19-12. After kills from both teams, Aline served up another ace, pushing the score to 24-14. Notre Dame hit a side out, allowing Elie to close the second set with a kill, 25-15.
Despite early kills from the Regents in the third set, kills from Nat and Eden K. brought the Eagles to 2-2. Harker pulled ahead following several errors from Notre Dame, and opposite hitter Annabel Huang (11) served two aces to secure a 9-7 lead. After Notre Dame tied the score at 9, Divya and Elie landed back-to-back kills. Elie continued to score with a tip and a kill, extending the lead to 14-10. A block from Eden K. and another from Ruhi brought the score to 21-11, and an ace from Keira pushed it to 22-11. Divya’s block and a violation by the Regents secured Harker’s victory 25-12.
Aline, who has played Harker volleyball since fourth grade, reflected on the support at senior night.
“We don’t usually get so many people out to watch our games,” Aline said. “Everyone who was there was genuinely there to support us, so it made us play as a team a lot better. In the moment of the ceremony, I felt appreciation for everything going on around me. The staff, all the people that came out to support us, my parents, everything behind the scenes — I was taking everything in and being very appreciative for all the support I’ve had.”
Varsity girls volleyball currently holds a 3-6 league record and will play Menlo School in an away game on Thursday.
![Sophomore Jessie Cao strikes a pose. “That feeling when you get a new skill, when you feel yourself improving on something you struggle with or when you overcome a mental block [is] really rewarding,” Jessie said. “As long as you push yourself and think you're trying your hardest, that's what matters the most.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/250918_jessiecaoapex_AshleyM_1-2-727x1200.jpg)
