LOOK: Stanford basketball pays tribute to fallen soccer player Katie Meyer
Stanford women’s basketball on Thursday paid tribute to Katie Meyer, Stanford women’s soccer’s starting goalkeeper, after she passed away at 22 years old on Wednesday.
When Tara Vanderveer’s Stanford Cardinal took the court for its Pac-12 Tournament matchup against No. 8 Oregon State, the team took the court wearing Stanford soccer t-shirts during shootarounds.
Stanford, currently sitting at 26-3 on the season, is the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament. The Cardinal beat Oregon State, 57-44, thanks in part to a tremendous 20-point, 14-rebound, 6-assist performance from guard Haley Jones.
More on Meyer’s tragic passing
Stanford women’s soccer goalkeeper and captain Katie Meyer died at 22 years old, the university announced Wednesday. The California native died in an on-campus residence, but no cause of death was provided in the initial release.
Katie Meyer played an instrumental role in Stanford’s 2019 national championship win, making two saves in a penalty shootout against North Carolina.
In addition to the preliminary details of her death, Stanford provided context on what Meyer meant to her family, friends, teammates and the school.
“Her friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline she said ‘changed my perspective on the world and the very important challenges that we need to work together to overcome’ to the passion she brought to the Cardinal women’s soccer program and to women’s sports in general,” Stanford released in the statement, via ESPN.
The university made resources available for those affected by Meyer’s death and encouraged students to check in on others feeling the impact of the news.
“There are no words to express the deep sadness we feel about Katie Meyer’s passing,” Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said in a statement, via ESPN. “Katie was an outstanding student-athlete and a beloved, passionate leader here at Stanford. Our entire athletics community is heartbroken and Katie will be deeply missed.”
2022 marked Katie Meyer’s third year as team captain, which she took over following the national championship heroics in 2019. As a redshirt senior, she also won multiple academic honors while pursuing a degree in international relations and history.
Meyer previously worked with the United State Women’s National Team development system in 2015 and 2016 during her high school career.
The United States Soccer Federation released the following statement about Meyer’s death on Wednesday afternoon.
The thoughts and hearts of the entire U.S. Soccer Federation are with the family, friends, teammates and loved ones of Katie Meyer,” a statement on social media read.