Four students from a South Carolina college were killed last weekend in a car crash near campus. One of those students was from the Bay area: 21-year-old Sarah Vande Berg.
It’s been a few years since Vande Berg walked the halls at Zephyrhills High School, but the impact she made is still very strong with those who knew her. Her former tennis coach at the high school was too upset to go on camera Monday.
Vande Berg served as captain of the tennis team at Zephyrhills High School for all four years. Her passion continued into college where she played at the University of South Carolina Upstate.
Vande Berg died in a fiery single car crash that killed three fellow students and left one recovering in the hospital. The news is hard to bear for those who knew the star athlete.
“She was a good student, hard worker, genuinely nice girl, it’s sad to lose any of them,” said Steve Wilkinson, Vande Berg’s former teacher.
“Sarah was a wonderful daughter,” said Sarah's father, Todd Vande Berg, from his home in Zephyrhills. “She had an outgoing personality and she truly loved people.
"Sarah went to all the athletic events at USC Upstate to show support for all the sports. We witnessed her love for her fellow student athletes and their amazing support for her when we attended her tennis match two weeks ago. There were athletes from cross country, basketball and volleyball at Sarah’s tennis match.”
Vande Berg was a communications major. The college said she was set on getting a job with Disney.
"Sarah was a wonderful young lady," said Lorraine Hinkle, the tennis coach for Zephyrhills High School. "She had a kind heart and would have done anything for her friends and family.
"I enjoyed coaching her for four years on the high school tennis team plus the friendship I gained knowing her family. She was the ZHS tennis team leader, as well as the one they could all count on. She will truly be missed. It is a great tragedy and my heart goes out to her family and the other four families who are going through this."