Teen killed in western Vic crash remembered as 'bubbly' and 'bright'
The coach of a teenager killed in a horror crash in Victoria's west that claimed three lives has paid tribute to her as an "amazing human being" who "loved everyone".
Tenesha Fieldsend, 14, was returning from a volleyball tournament in Horsham with her family when the car she was travelling in was involved in a collision with a truck and another vehicle on the Western Highway at Ledcourt about 6:45pm on Sunday.
Known affectionately as "T" by her teammates, Ms Fieldsend was from Sale, east of Melbourne, and represented Latrobe Valley Volleyball at the Volleyball Victoria Junior Country Championships in Horsham at the weekend.
Her team won bronze in the under-17 girls division.
Latrobe Valley volleyball coach Blake Hunter said he wanted her to be remembered as a "bubbly, bright, energetic, [and] fun-loving girl" with a "heart of gold".
Tenesha Fieldsend (centre, number 1) with her Latrobe Valley teammates at the Volleyball Victoria Junior Country Championships in Horsham at the weekend. (Supplied: Blake Hunter)
"She was always the heart of the team," Mr Hunter said.
"Even the other teams that were up there [at the tournament] knew her as the energetic girl on the court, the one that was never upset, always happy, always excited, even if they lost a point.
"T needs to be remembered as a girl that had a bright future, was loved by so many and [will be] sorely missed."
Blake Hunter said Tenesha Fieldsend was the heart of the team. (ABC News: Jack Colantuono)
Family, teammates dealing with loss
Ms Fieldsend was travelling in a Mitsubishi Triton driven by her 17-year-old brother, along with her 11-year-old sister and mother, 43, at the time of the collision.
The two occupants of the third vehicle, an MG ZS, died at the scene.
Mr Hunter said Ms Fieldsend's brother was "doing as good as you can be after losing a sister" and her 11-year-old sister remained in critical care.
Flowers have been left at the site of a collision at Ledcourt in western Victoria that left three dead. (Supplied: Blake Hunter)
"She's still having surgeries being completed right now as we speak and we have concerns for her as well," he said.
He asked for the family to be given privacy and said the volleyball community was supporting the players.
"We'll have a big group counselling meeting as a group to make sure the rest of these juniors are safe and being looked after," he said.
"Our biggest concern with these guys is their mental wellbeing."
He said the community had set up a GoFundMe to support the family.
Tributes flow
In a statement on social media, Volleyball Latrobe Valley said it was "deeply saddened" by Ms Fieldsend's death.
"Tenesha was a much-loved part of our sporting community and will be sadly missed by her teammates, coaches, friends and our wider volleyball members," the statement said.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends and all those who had the privilege of knowing her. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by our sporting community."
Volleyball Horsham said Ms Fieldsend's death after the Junior Country Championships was "heartbreaking".
"To have shared our courts, our community and our weekend with Tenesha is something we will remember, and our thoughts are with everyone who had the privilege of knowing her," it said in a statement.
The Gippsland Sports Academy said its thoughts were with her family, friends, teammates and coaches.
Police say the investigation into the circumstances behind the crash continues.
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