[1] Ward played college soccer for the Mountaineers at Appalachian State University, making 47 appearances over four seasons.

[7] At age 15, she knew little sign language before joining the team for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics in Taiwan, where she was a flag bearer for her country at the opening ceremony.

[5][7] She started every match to help the team win gold, scoring two goals, including one in the final, and was the youngest goalscorer in tournament history.

[7][8] She started every game at her next international tournament, the 2012 World Deaf Football Championships in Turkey, and recorded one goal and four assists as United States took the gold medal.

[8] She continued to win gold with the team at the 2013 Deaflympics in Bulgaria, where she opened scoring in the final, and the 2016 World Championships in Italy.