![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.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 basketball succumbed to Monta Vista 41-48 during an overtime season opener in the Zhang Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Although center Sanika Das (11) won the first tip-off, Monta Vista scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer. Guard Claire Yu (12) responded with a layup that narrowed the gap to 2-3. The Eagles maintained man-on-man defense to disrupt ball handlers’ offense, but the Matadors circumvented that strategy with precise movement, racking up points. Sanika sank two free throws, bringing Harker’s score up to 4-7.
Monta Vista applied aggressive defense, but the Eagles found gaps in their guarding. After point guard Jillian Chen (10) fought two opposing defenders for possession, she swung the ball to forward Finley Ho (11), who swished a three-pointer from the corner. The Eagles struggled with communication on the court, leading to a series of intercepted or missed passes that allowed the Matadors to increase their lead to 7-12. Jillian scored a three-pointer to end the quarter 10-12.
“I think our team chemistry isn’t quite there yet,” forward Hammy Hernandez (10) said. “This was our first game of the season, so we really haven’t played together like in an actual game setting. It was definitely a learning curve for us, and we really found our holes in the game.”
Monta Vista opened the second quarter strong with quick passing that penetrated Harker’s defense, tallying two successive baskets that brought the score up to 12-17. The Matadors notched two free throws after a foul, and they cut off Harker’s subsequent attempts to score by intercepting passes from Hammy and Jillian.
The two teams traded points, with Harker regaining momentum, as shooting guard Selena Chen (11) scored a three-pointer and Sanika tipped in a throw, while Monta Vista made a layup after a fast break. Both teams began defending more aggressively, resulting in more fouls and free throws for each side, and the teams ended the quarter 18-23.
Claire noted how the Monta Vista team played a full-court press, with defenders covering the offensive team across the whole court, rather than half-court defense, which Harker typically faced.
“This was the first game and we hadn’t gone up against a press before, so we were rushing a lot and that ended up with a lot of turnovers,” Claire said. “The game was rough, not because of a lack of effort, but because of bad decisions. Our aggressiveness on offense and defense are good, especially to start out the season. If we could continue this through, we’ll be able to make it really far.”
The teams began the third quarter trading three-pointers. After a foul by the Eagles, the Matadors gained a point with a free throw. Another free throw from Monta Vista brought the score to 21-28. With Jillian scoring 23-28, Harker rebounded.
The Matadors widened the gap to 23-30, but the Eagles gained the advantage of a free throw after a Matador knocked Jillian down during a shot attempt, allowing her to bring the score to 24-30. After a three-pointer by Jillian, the Eagles climbed back up to 27-30, ending the third quarter.
Returning to the court, Harker immediately closed the gap, hitting another three-pointer to bring the score to 30-30. However, Monta Vista once again grabbed the lead, scoring twice and climbing up to 30-35. After two successful shots by Sanika, Harker gained another free throw opportunity, enabling them to close the gap.
Down two points with 8.6 seconds left on the clock, Sanika sank two game-tying free throws to push the teams into overtime, 37-37.
“We knew if we scored we were going to try to stay in overtime and just make sure they didn’t get a last shot up,” Hammy said. “But there was a possession in overtime where the other team happened to have some consecutive scoring and our team just kind of deflated.”
Immediately, Monta Vista capitalized off Harker turnovers, scoring a 3 pointer and layup in succession and eventually solidifying their lead at 37-44. Due to fatigue, Harker’s defense became less organized, leading Head Coach Daniza Rodriguez to call another timeout where she emphasized the importance of staying calm. Both teams sustained fouls, each scoring one free throw to edge the score up to 38-45.
Hammy, Jillian and Sanika blocked several Monta Vista shots, but Harker’s tighter defense resulted in a foul. Monta Vista leapt forward another two points off free throws, nearing a ten-point lead. While dribbling down the court, Finley tangled with a defender, falling and exiting the game with an ankle injury.
Selena subbed in for Finley, but Harker struggled to keep their passes tight. With 16 seconds remaining in the game, Hammy passed to Selena who sank a final three-pointer, concluding the hard-fought game at 41-48.
Sanika’s mother Sutapa Biswas reflected on the game, acknowledging the team’s efforts.
“They played as a team, and as per the first game, they did their best,” Biswas said. “We are proud of them. This is the first game, so in the future I’m 100% sure if they tie, they will win. If they trust each other, pass each other, and play as a team, they’ll have a fair chance.”
The team currently holds a league record of 0-2, and they will play Monte Vista next on Saturday at Dublin High School.
