Fall season openers build momentum By Kairui Sun

Varsity girls volleyball

The team battled the Branham Bruins in a five-set thriller on Aug. 29. The Eagles' defended Branham's offense with grit but succumbed 18-25, 25-21, 17-25, 27-25 and 7-15.

Sophomore outside hitter Divya Bhupathi attempts a pancake to save a Bruin tip. Harker set up their defense on the perimeter of the court and relied on hustle to pick up balls in the exposed middle.

“We made some really good touches at very anxiety-ridden moments,” Head Coach Theresa "Smitty" Smith said.“That was a big part of us being able to take the game to five sets.”

Team captain and junior outside hitter Elie Ahluwalia hits over the Bruin block. Elie found success swinging into the deep corners of the court.

Elie shone as the Eagles' most reliable offensive option throughout the game. Regardless of if Elie was front or back row, the Eagles consistently set her and gave her opportunities to attack aggressively.

Junior middle blocker Eden Kelly congratulates her teammates during a timeout. From cheers on the bench to communication before every play on the court, the girls' camaraderie stayed high throughout the night.

"I don't say too much to the girls," Coach Smith said. "They huddle on their own and I don't come anywhere near. They're smart kids and can cerebrally work their way through [challenges]."

Varsity football

Harker's 8-man football team lost 30-44 against Cornerstone Christian Cougars on Sept. 5. The Eagles went touchdown for touchdown with the Cougars until key offensive players suffered cramps from fatigue in the third quarter. Falling behind by two touchdowns, the Eagles were unable to get within more than six and trailed until the whistle.

Junior running back Jackson Powell elbows a defender out of the way and charges forward. Jackson ran for three touchdowns and 211 yards, catapulting him to the #1 spot in rushing yards in the Central Coast Section.

Senior quarterback Rayan Arya hurls a pass deep to senior wide receiver Vedant Yadav. In the second half, the Eagles' playbook shifted to an increasingly passing-dominated offense as the Cornerstone defense fatigued.

Vedant barely misses the catch and tumbles to the ground. With the clock approaching two minutes, the Eagles opted to follow up with another passing play.

Jackson grapples with a Cornerstone defender for possession of the ball. The pass was ultimately incomplete, and the Eagles ended the game trailing 30-44.

"We'll just take it week by week and try to get better," Costa said. "I try not to mention the word win. I just tell the boys: let's get better and let's learn."

Varsity water polo

Both water polo teams fought against the Los Gatos Wildcats on Sept. 10, with the girls winning 14-8 and the boys losing 8-14. The rivalry between the Eagles and the Cats culminated last year when Harker's boys team knocked out Los Gatos in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League playoffs. Expecting a heated rematch, the season opener attracted a lively crowd of spectators that lined the edges of Singh Aquatic Center.

Sophomore Zoe Cammer defends a Wildcat shot. Threatening on both defense and offense, Zoe drew applause from the crowd late in the second quarter with a backhand spin move goal.

Senior captain Vyom Vidyarthi winds up a shot early in the first quarter. Although Los Gatos defenders initially blocked Vyom's attempts, he kept shooting aggressively and contributed two of Harker's eight goals.

Under defensive pressure, frosh Ossi Carrico searches for an open teammate. With five minutes left in the second quarter, Ossi hurled a shot in from six meters out, bringing the Eagles’ deficit down to 3-5. Harker’s bench erupted in chants of “he’s a freshman.”

Junior goalie Alejandro Cheline wards off a Wildcat late into the fourth quarter. Los Gatos put Alejandro under significant pressure with quick ball movement and frequent shot attempts.

"Defensively, we were working on a drop back defense where we leave the shooters that we don't want to shoot and press the ones who do," Alejandro said. It didn't work entirely as we planned, but we'll make adjustments and go into [games] stronger."

Cross country

(Ram Batchu)

Cross country competed at the Baylands invitational on Sept. 13. Harker runners across all grades shone. Junior Robinson Xiang heads the pack at the start of the race. Robinson started strong with a 5:13 mile split and eventually finished 7th out of 129. Senior Hannah Levanon hurtles towards the finish line.

Regardless of the sport, athletes and coaches alike look to build off the experiences of their season openers. Girls volleyball is currently 4-4 and first in league, football is 1-1, girls water polo is 2-1 and fourth in league, boys water polo is 4-2 and third in league, and cross country competes on Sept. 21 in the De La Salle Invitational.