Stensland was born in Farsund in the south of Norway and grew up at nearby Lyngdal showing her talent for football at an early age.
During its first period of existence Athene Moss fielded such players as Heidi Støre, Agnethe Carlsen, Birthe Hegstad, Bente Nordby, Marianne Pettersen and later national team players such as Ingvild Stensland, Lene Storløkken, Lise Klaveness, Camilla Huse and Christine Colombo Nilsen.