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Stanford women's soccer player Katie Meyer dies at 22

March 2 (UPI) -- Stanford women's soccer star and team captain Katie Meyer has died, the university announced Wednesday. She was 22.

The university said Meyer's death occurred in an on-campus residence, but a cause of death wasn't provided.

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Meyer, who was a senior studying international relations and history, played goalkeeper for the Cardinal and made two critical saves in a penalty shootout to help Stanford beat North Carolina in the 2019 national championship.

"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 said in a statement.

Meyer attended high school in Newbury Park, Calif. She took a redshirt during her freshman year at Stanford before making 16 appearances -- all starts -- in the 2019 campaign.

In addition to her stellar performances on the pitch, she had twice been named to the Pac-12 Conference's Fall Academic Honor Roll.

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"There are no words to express the deep sadness we feel about Katie Meyer's passing," Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said in a news release. "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."

The school said it has resources available for those impacted by Meyer's death. There will be a candlelight vigil in honor of Meyer on Wednesday night at the main quad on Stanford's campus for students, staff and alumni.

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Anita Pointer of the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters stands with Andy Madadian (C) and La Toya Jackson (L) as Madadian is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. Pointer, who performed alongside her sisters June and Ruth, died at the age of 74 on December 31 following a battle with cancer. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

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