Perfect harmony could lead Pickett and Stanford to another title

Kiki Pickett and Stanford women’s soccer are trying to find the right rhythm to win another NCAA crown.

When a musical group performs, everyone must be on the same page. If one person is off-key or a step off of the choreography, the performance suffers. Soccer is no different. The beautiful game needs fluidity and everyone operating in sync for the best results. Stanford Cardinal defender Kiki Pickett is trying to help her club hit all the right notes to win a second NCAA championship in four years.

When I asked for the key to another title, she had a simple answer: chemistry. “That feeling you get when all the puzzle pieces fit together. Think of it this way – every player is a puzzle piece and when you put all the pieces together to make the final product, you will see a beautiful picture,” Kiki explained.

Part of any club’s success in finding that chemistry is communication. That’s good news because Pickett decided on majoring in communications. She added, “Because I love understanding why people do what they do.” She’s also a master in rhythm and rhyme. “I love to sing, dance, and write poetry,” Kiki said. She listed Alicia Keys’ hit, “If I Ain’t Got You”, as her favorite song to sing.

This girl on fire’s soccer resume is not limited to a successful college career, where she’s tallied two goals and ten assists in her 60 career matches. She has also represented the USWNT on multiple youth levels, including the U-17 and U-20 World Cups. When I asked what her favorite memories were from those experiences,  she responded, “Honestly, I can’t remember much, especially the specific games themselves. All I can remember is the feeling. The feeling of scoring your first international goal for your country. I left that field with tears of joy.”

Now, she will try to use those experiences to help Stanford win their second NCAA Championship in three years. The team defeated Oregon State last night to extend their Pac-12 unbeaten streak to 33 matches. Next up, they stay in the state of Oregon to face the University of Oregon Ducks on Sunday. That match kicks off at noon and can be seen on the Pac-12 Network. If Stanford can keep up the tune of six straight victories, Kiki and her teammates will be signing “We Are The Champions” before we know it.