Bio

Charlie Ekstrom is entering her first year as head coach of the Folsom Lake College women’s volleyball program after a historic career as a collegiate and professional beach volleyball player.

Ekstrom played beach volleyball at Stanford University from 2018-2023, where she was a five-year starter, including the shortened 2020 season, and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During her time competing for the Cardinal, she was named a four-time member of the All-Pac-12 Team, a four-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree, an AVCA All-American, a Pac-12 Pair of the Week honoree, and a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Ekstrom finished her career at Stanford with 82 wins, the most in Stanford program history at the time of her graduation.

During her time at Stanford and following graduation, Ekstrom competed domestically on the AVP Tour, with her highest finish being third place in a summertime event. She also represented Team USA internationally on the FIVB Tour, competing in tournaments in Australia, Italy, and Spain, with her highest international finish being fifth place.

Prior to joining Folsom Lake College, Ekstrom served as a head coach at 692 West Beach Volleyball Club in San Diego from 2019-2023. She also served as a tournament director and director of operations at the Beach Volleyball Clubs of America National Championships. In addition, she was the Assistant Director of Communications and Outreach for Strong Girls United, an organization dedicated to empowering girls through sports, mentorship, and mental strength workshops. She is also the founder and host of “Strong Girls Pod,” a podcast dedicated to empowering girls and women through conversations with current and former professional and collegiate female athletes.

Ekstrom holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a sub-plan in Architectural Design and a Master of Arts in Communications with a focus in Media Studies from Stanford University. While at Stanford, she founded and served as president of Cardinal Community, Stanford’s first student-athlete-led philanthropic organization. The organization was dedicated to providing student-athletes with a platform for philanthropic engagement and giving back to the communities surrounding Stanford.

Ekstrom currently resides in Sacramento.