Juliaclare Plezbert is in her third season as the head coach of the Ave Maria softball program.
Plezbert was hired in June of 2022, and brought nearly a decade of softball experience to Southwest Florida, as both a player and a coach.
Plezbert came to the University following four years as the head coach at Goshen College in Indiana, a member of the Crossroads League. Plezbert's teams won double digit conference games in each of her three full seasons—excluding the Covid-shortened 2020 season—and set numerous school records during her tenure.
Her first head coaching job came at Ancilla College in Indiana, where she was tasked with re-starting the program in 2018. She began her coaching career as an assistant at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, where she served from 2015 to 2018. Oklahoma Wesleyan made two national tournament appearances during her tenure. In 2018, the Oklahoma Wesleyan coaches were named Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
As a player, Plezbert suited up at another NAIA school, Indiana Tech, from 2012 to 2015. She was a three-time Academic All-Conference selection in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, and was a nominee for the A.O. Duer award, which recognizes outstanding junior student-athletes in the NAIA.
