University of North Carolina Athletics
GoHeels Exclusive: Stepping Up Carolina's Game For Zoe Smith
December 2, 2018 | Women's Soccer, Featured Writers
Tar Heels added emotional incentive Sunday
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
Around 1 p.m. Sunday, just before the North Carolina women's soccer team kicks off its NCAA championship match against Florida State, Taylor Otto will pause and reflect, as she's done all season.
She'll think about the game ahead and motivate herself to play her hardest. She'll also think about the people who aren't afforded the chance to play the sport she loves. Most importantly, though, she'll think about Zoe Smith. And her teammates will surely do the same.
Throughout this season, the Tar Heels have played for Zoe, a 14-year-old patient at UNC Children's Hospital. They told her they'd win her the national championship. But before potentially fulfilling that promise, they learned Wednesday she'd passed away after a nearly seven-month battle with rhabdoid sarcoma, a very rare form of pediatric cancer.
Every player has written Zoe's name on their wrist tape or hands before games this year. Sunday, all of them will wear black tape on their right wrists in her honor, as they did during Friday's 1-0 win over Georgetown.
"It's heartbreaking," said Otto of Zoe's death. "That's such an incredible person, and it's not fair. But everything happens for a reason, and I think as much as it's a bad situation ... it was a reminder of, 'OK, we really have to go out there and leave everything we have.'"
They know Zoe would've. It took only two visits to realize that.
As the assistant director of student-athlete development, Korie Sawyer Rich oversees the community service efforts of Tar Heel student-athletes. Regular visits to the UNC Children's Hospital are among those. And in late July, she received a request from a hospital representative, asking about organizing a visit between Zoe and a few women's soccer players.
Julia Ashley, Dorian Bailey, Kate Morris and Otto ultimately went and met Zoe a few days before preseason training began. From the moment they walked into her room, all Zoe talked about was soccer. She also didn't stop smiling.
"She was just so excited to see us and to tell us about her soccer experience, about how she was such a big goal scorer," Ashley said. "She had a lot of life to her, even though she was really struggling. She was so grateful and thankful for us to be there, and so was her whole family."
The experience was also special for the players.
So in the days following their first visit, Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto started working with Rich to organize another. This time, they wished to bring more of their teammates with them.
A few weeks went by before they could visit Zoe again. But on Aug. 23, the day after Carolina's 1-1 draw against Texas, Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto returned. They also brought 17 of their teammates with them and presented Zoe a signed ball, a team poster and a T-shirt.
Every member of Zoe's family hugged each player when they left, Ashley said.
"It was one of the most emotional moments I've been a part of," Otto said. "There were probably five or six people who started crying when they walked out. She was in such a terrible condition at the time, but she was still the brightest person in the room. And for someone to be going through something like that and still have positivity in them was something that I think was really good for all of us to see.
"I think that moment was something that really brought us together and allowed us to be like, 'OK, there's really someone else who we're playing for and there's something bigger than just soccer here.'"
In many ways, spending time with Zoe has put any hardships the team has faced this season into perspective, Bailey said.
"It really makes you realize how lucky you are," she said. "For everyone on this team, regardless of anything we're going through or any injuries, we're so lucky to be here, to be able to play and to be healthy. So it really just makes you count your blessings."
After their second visit, the players tried to stay in touch with Zoe. Rich handled most of the correspondence, occasionally checking in with a member of the UNC Children's Hospital staff and exchanging pictures with both parties. But over time, Rich began receiving fewer updates.
Ashley said the less communication there was, the more she started thinking Zoe, from Charlottesville, Va., was improving. But Wednesday, Rich learned Zoe passed away on November 11. Rich told just Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto. They then broke the news to the rest of the team before practice that afternoon, when they also shared their idea for the black wrist tape.
Just because Zoe passed away doesn't mean the Tar Heels aren't still playing for her, both now and always.
"She'll be in my mind way beyond this whole experience," Morris said. "It's really unfortunate she was in that situation and that had to happen to her and her family. But I think the least we could do is win it for her and fulfill the promise that we made to her at the beginning of preseason. This was for her, and I think we all owe it to her and her family to win the thing."
Around 1 p.m. Sunday, just before the North Carolina women's soccer team kicks off its NCAA championship match against Florida State, Taylor Otto will pause and reflect, as she's done all season.
She'll think about the game ahead and motivate herself to play her hardest. She'll also think about the people who aren't afforded the chance to play the sport she loves. Most importantly, though, she'll think about Zoe Smith. And her teammates will surely do the same.
Throughout this season, the Tar Heels have played for Zoe, a 14-year-old patient at UNC Children's Hospital. They told her they'd win her the national championship. But before potentially fulfilling that promise, they learned Wednesday she'd passed away after a nearly seven-month battle with rhabdoid sarcoma, a very rare form of pediatric cancer.
Every player has written Zoe's name on their wrist tape or hands before games this year. Sunday, all of them will wear black tape on their right wrists in her honor, as they did during Friday's 1-0 win over Georgetown.
"It's heartbreaking," said Otto of Zoe's death. "That's such an incredible person, and it's not fair. But everything happens for a reason, and I think as much as it's a bad situation ... it was a reminder of, 'OK, we really have to go out there and leave everything we have.'"
They know Zoe would've. It took only two visits to realize that.
As the assistant director of student-athlete development, Korie Sawyer Rich oversees the community service efforts of Tar Heel student-athletes. Regular visits to the UNC Children's Hospital are among those. And in late July, she received a request from a hospital representative, asking about organizing a visit between Zoe and a few women's soccer players.
Julia Ashley, Dorian Bailey, Kate Morris and Otto ultimately went and met Zoe a few days before preseason training began. From the moment they walked into her room, all Zoe talked about was soccer. She also didn't stop smiling.
"She was just so excited to see us and to tell us about her soccer experience, about how she was such a big goal scorer," Ashley said. "She had a lot of life to her, even though she was really struggling. She was so grateful and thankful for us to be there, and so was her whole family."
The experience was also special for the players.
So in the days following their first visit, Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto started working with Rich to organize another. This time, they wished to bring more of their teammates with them.
A few weeks went by before they could visit Zoe again. But on Aug. 23, the day after Carolina's 1-1 draw against Texas, Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto returned. They also brought 17 of their teammates with them and presented Zoe a signed ball, a team poster and a T-shirt.
Every member of Zoe's family hugged each player when they left, Ashley said.
"It was one of the most emotional moments I've been a part of," Otto said. "There were probably five or six people who started crying when they walked out. She was in such a terrible condition at the time, but she was still the brightest person in the room. And for someone to be going through something like that and still have positivity in them was something that I think was really good for all of us to see.
"I think that moment was something that really brought us together and allowed us to be like, 'OK, there's really someone else who we're playing for and there's something bigger than just soccer here.'"
In many ways, spending time with Zoe has put any hardships the team has faced this season into perspective, Bailey said.
"It really makes you realize how lucky you are," she said. "For everyone on this team, regardless of anything we're going through or any injuries, we're so lucky to be here, to be able to play and to be healthy. So it really just makes you count your blessings."
After their second visit, the players tried to stay in touch with Zoe. Rich handled most of the correspondence, occasionally checking in with a member of the UNC Children's Hospital staff and exchanging pictures with both parties. But over time, Rich began receiving fewer updates.
Ashley said the less communication there was, the more she started thinking Zoe, from Charlottesville, Va., was improving. But Wednesday, Rich learned Zoe passed away on November 11. Rich told just Ashley, Bailey, Morris and Otto. They then broke the news to the rest of the team before practice that afternoon, when they also shared their idea for the black wrist tape.
Just because Zoe passed away doesn't mean the Tar Heels aren't still playing for her, both now and always.
"She'll be in my mind way beyond this whole experience," Morris said. "It's really unfortunate she was in that situation and that had to happen to her and her family. But I think the least we could do is win it for her and fulfill the promise that we made to her at the beginning of preseason. This was for her, and I think we all owe it to her and her family to win the thing."
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's SoccerUNC Women's Basketball: Tar Heels Battle Past Fairfield, 82-68
Sunday, November 16
UNC Wrestling: Heels Hold Off Navy, 20-18
Sunday, November 16
Hubert Davis post-NC Central Press Conference
Saturday, November 15
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions – Men’s Basketball vs. NC Central – November 14, 2025
Saturday, November 15