Folsom Lake Beach Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

FOLSOM, Calif. — The Folsom Lake College women's beach volleyball team has earned the 2026 American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award, recognizing the Falcons' academic excellence throughout the 2025–26 school year.

The national award honors collegiate and high school volleyball programs that maintained a year-long team grade-point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. The recognition reflects the commitment Folsom Lake's student-athletes demonstrated in the classroom while balancing practices, competition, travel and the other responsibilities associated with collegiate athletics.

"I am incredibly proud of our team for their efforts in both the classroom and on the sand," head coach Charlie Ekstrom said. "With the vast majority of them being dual-sport student-athletes, I know they work tirelessly year-round to excel in all they do. As a team, they set a standard of excellence in the classroom across the board and accomplished that goal with flying colors. I am honored to lead these young women, and I know I will see them continue to succeed in the years to come."

Folsom Lake was one of seven California Community College Athletic Association beach volleyball programs to receive the award this year. The Falcons joined Butte College, Cypress College, Feather River College, Fresno City College, MiraCosta College and Sierra College among the state's community college beach volleyball honorees.

The award came during a record-setting year for the AVCA, with 43 women's collegiate beach volleyball programs receiving the recognition—the highest total in the award's history. Across all classifications, 1,432 collegiate and high school volleyball programs were honored.

The achievement highlights the beach volleyball program's commitment to developing successful student-athletes in the classroom and in competition.