Overland Park woman killed in crash was former St. Thomas Aquinas soccer player
A 19-year-old Overland Park woman killed when her car crashed into a concrete wall while exiting from U.S. 69 late Monday was a recent graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where she had been a notable soccer player.
Police on Wednesday identified the woman as Alia M. Calvert, noting that Calvert at times spelled her first name “Alliyah.”
A day earlier, her former coach at Aquinas had posted a message on Twitter about the loss.
“It is with the deepest sorrow that Aquinas soccer acknowledges the death of graduated goalkeeper, Alliyah Calvert, earlier this morning in a crash,” coach Craig Ewing said.
The crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Monday, according to police. Calvert was exiting from southbound U.S. 69 at College Boulevard when the 1999 Toyota Camry she was driving struck a concrete wall. She was killed in the wreck.
Further details about what led up to the crash were not released by police. The crash remains under investigation.
Calvert was a freshman student athlete at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, where she was a goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team.
“Members of the UCM community are saddened by the tragic loss of Alia Calvert …” the university said in a Tweet. “We are keeping her family, friends and classmates in our thoughts at this difficult time.”
Two fellow freshmen women on the soccer team issued statements through the university’s athletic department on Wednesday, calling Calvert “an amazing teammate” as well as a close friend.
“Allyiah knew how to make a room laugh with her gigantic smile and her random outbursts. She was giggly and full of support and love for all people no matter what,” said Molly Voigt, from Lee’s Summit. “She was goofy and full of life but she also understood struggle and knew all the right things to say to me when I needed her the most.”
“Allyiah was in my life for a short moment of time but she had a great impact on it,” said Makayla Martin, also from Lee’s Summit. “She was a great teammate but also a great friend. She had the kindest soul and biggest smile. I love Alliyah and I’ll miss her so much.”
While at St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, Calvert was a four-year letter winner, according to her profile on the University of Central Missouri Athletics website.
She was named the high school’s Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2016. She also was selected to the First Team-All State as a goalkeeper in 2016 and was the Class 5A Goalkeeper of the Year as a sophomore.
She was a team member when St. Thomas Aquinas won the Class 5A State Championships in 2015 and 2016.
This story was originally published December 19, 2018 at 9:55 AM.
