![“[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)
The Varsity girls’ volleyball team’s CCS run ended in a game against top seat Harbor in the semifinals held at Menlo School yesterday.
The Eagles lost by two sets, in a four set game that took the crowd through a riveting roller coaster of emotions.
Harbor started the match strong, hitting kill after kill against a struggling opponent. However, the Eagles gained their footing and proved resilient; the girls maintained their offensive throughout the rest of the game leading repeated reversals of momentum.
“I don’t think any of us lost hope for winning until the ball hit the floor closing the game,” team captain Shreya Dixit (10) said.
Shreya further explained that one of her team’s weaknesses during the game involved blocking the opponents’ advances.
“We were unable to get good touches off the block when the other team was hitting, so the ball was going straight down, making it hard to pass,” she said.
Despite the 30-minute drive from the Upper School, a large attendance including students, parents, and faculty helped bolster the team’s spirit, according to many players. Some supporters created posters for their favorite players, while others, such as the boy’s basketball team, created cheers and stood for much of the last set.
Many of the fans arrived on the rally bus or drove with friends after their own sports practice. Several students came to encourage their friends on the team as well as to support the school.
“I just thought that since they made it far, they deserve to have an audience,” Nathan Dalal (10) said.
Those on the volleyball team, while disappointed by their performance during some points, expressed pride in how far they had reached this season.
“I was really happy, and I felt like that was how we should have played,” Doreene Kang (9) said, recalling her emotions during the successful second set.
As the team is expected to consist of the same players, the girls hope to advance further into CCS finals next year.
