![“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 boys volleyball defeated Lynbrook High School 3-0 during senior night in the Zhang Gym on May 6.
Head coach Jackson Dupler honored seniors Mikhil Kiran, Topaz Lee, Ethan Leelanivas, Kairui Sun and Luke Wu in a speech that commended their leadership on the team. He then went on to shout out each senior for their accomplishments in volleyball. Teammates gifted flowers to the seniors, and seniors took photos with their parents to celebrate the night.
“I had a great group of seniors,” Dupler said. “They had tons of leadership and they helped keep the team culture dynamic, and it showed with how we played. We’ve had a great season. I’m really excited for them and I’m really excited to see what they do in college.”
Lynbrook started out the game with the first serve. Harker pulled ahead to an early lead with successful blocks from setter Brandon Labio (11). Middle blocker Spencer Mo (11) also blocked multiple hits at 7-3.
Outside hitters Mikhil and Topaz and libero Luke hit kills to bring Harker up 16-6. Lynbrook held onto points from successful back-and-forth rallies, but middle blocker Kairui demonstrated strong blocking and hitting to give Harker the advantage. Lynbrook hit a series of out-of-bounds, awarding Harker the win for the first set at 25-16.
Former science teacher Zane Moore attended the event to cheer on his former students. He noted the team’s strong hits that often left Lynbrook unable to receive.
“It was really exciting, because there was some diving going on and a lot of really powerful spiking over the net,” Dr. Moore said. “And it was nice to see all the student support and faculty support for the senior night game. There was a lot of cheering from the sidelines, and it was a very positive event throughout.”
In the second set, Lynbrook adjusted their strategy to focus more on Harker’s left side, pulling ahead 4-8. Topaz hit to bring Harker to 9-10 as Harker adapted to Lynbrook’s new style. Kairui and Topaz both found opportunities to tip Lynbrook’s powerful hits over the net, evening the score at 15-15. The two teams maintained a steady rally with Brandon and Spencer blocking Lynbrook’s hits until they tied again at 22-22. Harker continued to put up a strong defense, and Kairui blocked to secure Harker a win 25-23.
During the third set, Harker landed successful kills but also hit a few rallies out-of-bounds, initially matching Lynbrook 7-7. Brandon and Spencer successfully blocked and Mikhil executed successful kills, leading Harker to take the lead 12-7. Harker then dominated the game, with Topaz, Luke and Kairui all hitting successfully past Lynbrook’s defense. Lynbrook then hit out on several serves and failed to receive hits, bringing Harker to 24-10. Topaz blocked Lynbrook’s final hit to clinch the win 25-10, winning the overall game 3-0.
Opposite hitter Mikhil returned to play volleyball with the team after taking a break his sophomore and junior years. He appreciated the support of the other players throughout the season.
“I came back this year and the program has welcomed me with open arms, and I’m so happy that I’ve been able to play with amazing coaches and teammates,” Mikhil said. “I really love everything the underclassman did for us. I’ve played both soccer and volleyball, and it’s been great to see how much love the people on the program have for each other.
Ethan referenced the positive attitude from the team throughout the game and the season as a whole. Players on the sidelines cheered and sang for players as they scored.
“We all put out 110% and that makes it a really exciting game to watch and play,” Ethan said. “I’ve grown to build a really strong community around my teammates and the community that comes to watch our games to cheer us on. I’m going to miss the amount of support that I’ve gotten not just from my teammates, but from the faculty, my fellow classmates and coaches. I’m really honored to be able to play on the team.”
