JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — An 18-year-old freshman player for Jacksonville University women’s soccer team was killed in a crash while returning from a team bonding trip.
School officials said Stephanie Davis was killed Sunday afternoon when the SUV she was riding in veered off the road, overcorrected and flipped over.
Seven of her teammates were injured in the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The team was returning from a tubing trip near Lake City when the crash happened, officials said.
The other players had injuries described as minor, and were treated at hospitals, troopers said.
Jacksonville Coach John Constable remembers Davis for her work ethic and infectious smile, the Florida Times-Union reported.
Kris Ford, her coach at Tohopekaliga High School in Kissimmee, told the newspaper that Davis was “a rock star” for the team during her senior year there.
Ford told the newspaper that Davis was mentoring younger players at the high school via phone, email and social media.
“She was really helping them out, telling them what it takes to succeed at the college level,” Ford said. “Going to Jacksonville was a huge honor for her. She very hard for that. She was never given anything.”
