Livingstone Director of Athletics Lamonte Massie-Sampson has announced Ericka Charleston as the new head women's volleyball coach following a national search. Charleston, affectionately called "Coach E",  brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the program and has a proven capability to recruit and develop quality talent. The Franklin County, NC-native started her career as an Analytical Microbiologist for Abbott Labs. While serving in the pharmaceutical industry, she began serving as a volunteer coach for Varsity Track & Field. In 2002 she accepted a position with Franklin County Schools where she taught science and coached volleyball, basketball and track& field for seven years, winning numerous conference championships, and contending in regional and state-playoffs in each sport. The 3-time Tar-Roanoke Conference Coach of the Year established a volleyball club in 2006 under the umbrella of an outreach program called Godly Influence and was successful in securing college scholarships for twelve high school athletes.

Coach E earned her bachelor's degree from Fayetteville State University as a Chancellor's Scholar and joined the volleyball team as a walk-on in 1991.  The CIAA Rookie of the Year led her team in digs and aces while helping Fayetteville State secure two appearances in CIAA volleyball championships. Off the court, she won 3rd place in the National Minority Research Symposium in 1994, was awarded the Glaxo Women in Science Scholarship, and was honored in Who's Who Among America's Colleges and Universities throughout her college career. In 1992, 1993 and 1994 she was honored as the FSU Student-Athlete with the highest GPA.

Coach E returned to NC to coach at the club level with Carolina Shockwave Volleyball Club, where she has coached for 5 seasons and won numerous regional, super regional, and national division championships as well as developing and converting 100 percent of the clubs players to college-ready athletes. Her motto is to Work Smart, Work Hard and Win BIG!