![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.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 tennis overpowered Castilleja School 7-0 on senior night on Tuesday at Del Mar High School.
Before the game, the team honored seniors Anika Akkiraju and Pavith Khara, presenting them with flowers and posters. Head Coach John Fruttero gave a speech to the seniors, highlighting how they brought the team together through their welcoming personalities.
“We were playing more for the seniors than the result,” Fruterro said. “We were celebrating two people that have been instrumental and transformative in the trajectory of Harker girls tennis for the last four years. Pavith is one of the best players on the team since she was a freshman and a leader by example on court. Anika is a spiritual leader who brings energy to practices and is super welcoming to the underclasswomen this year.”
All the singles players swept their matches. First singles player Angela Li defeated her opponent 6-2, 6-1 by hitting consistent shots to the middle of the court despite missing some at the beginning of the game. After winning 6-2 in the first set, sophomore Kendra Zhao overpowered Castilleja in a 6-0 bagel.
Frosh Hannah Sachse came out on top 6-1, 6-0 by taking advantage of her opponent’s inconsistent shooting and hitting closer to the baseline. Although she struggled with her serve at the beginning of her games, Sabrina Shun (9) forced her opponent to the sides of the court with her corner shots, securing her victory 6-1, 6-1.
“I was struggling on the spin of my forehand and my grassroots in general early on,” Sabrina said. “But once I got into the rhythm of it in the second set, I was able to be more consistent.”
Many teammates who had finished their singles matches cheered for the doubles teams from the sidelines, enjoying the boba and musubi the team had brought for senior night.
As the two seniors on the team, Anika and Pavith went into their game more lightheartedly. Still, they focused on staying consistent with their shots to always keep a lead on their opponents, scoring 6-1, 6-2. After their match, Pavith reflected on her experience playing tennis with Harker and the memories she shared with her teammates.
“I’m excited to take tennis with me to college and continue building on what I’ve learned,” Pavith said. “Over the years our team has gotten closer and closer and I’m just really glad with how much we’ve grown as a team and also how much everybody’s tennis has grown as well. I’ll miss the amount of relief that playing tennis gives me like during high school.”
With Omya Vidyarthi (10) at the net and Abby Cheng (10) by the baseline, the duo constrained the areas their opponents could hit. Using this strategy, they won 6-0, 6-0. Claire Xu (11) and Alyssa Lee (9) sealed their game 6-0, 6-2, bringing Harker’s overall score to 7-0.
The team holds an overall record of 4-0 and will face Crystal Springs Uplands School tomorrow.
