University of Dubuque

April Elsbernd joined the University of Dubuque Athletic Department in the Spring of 2009 and is a native of Calmar, Iowa (South Winneshiek High School). The 2023 season was her 15th season as head coach of the Spartan Volleyball Program.

The 2023 season was a historic one for Elsbernd and the Spartans as they went undefeated in conference play (8-0) for the first time since the 1982 season (11-0) and were able to secure their first regular season conference championship since the 1995 season. The Spartans earned the #1 seed in the conference tournament and hosted the conference championship game for the first time since 1999 in front of a packed house. 

In 2018, for the first time in 20 seasons, the Spartans earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. They would fall in the first round of regionals to the top-seeded, University of Chicago Maroon. The Spartans finished the season with a 24-9 record and received the second seed in the conference tournament. UDVB beat the #3 seeded Coe College Kohawks (3-0), before defeating the host and #1 seeded Wartburg Knights (3-1) to solidify the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament Championship. Elsbernd and her coaching staff were selected A-R-C Coaching Staff of the Year, along with Player of the Year honors for junior, Kara Wright, and Freshman of the Year honors for Kate Messino. Wright would go on to receive All-Region and Honorable Mention All-American honors.

In 2019, Elsbernd led UD to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Appearances. The Spartans finished the regular season 5-3 in conference action, earning the third seed in the conference tournament. The Spartans took down Buena Vista at home 3-2 before heading down the road to defeat rival Loras in a 3-2 thriller to advance to the finals. After back-to-back five-set matches, UD dropped the first set at Wartburg before taking the next three sets for the win (3-1) and another A-R-C Tournament Championship. Elsbernd and the Spartans would fall in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament to the top-seeded St. Thomas Tommies (3-1).

University of Dubuque Volleyball student-athletes have earned 14 straight American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team awards, 34 All-Conference selections, two Freshman of the Year winners, one conference MVP, and four Honorable Mention All-Americans during Elsbernd’s 15 seasons at the helm of the program.

Prior to coaching at the University of Dubuque, Elsbernd spent one season as head coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa; and three seasons as an assistant at Cornell College. She has been involved with the USAV Iowa Region High Performance program since 2011; learning from and interacting with USA Volleyball coaches and former USA Olympic Athletes.

Elsbernd attended Coe College and was a four-year letterwinner for the volleyball program (1999-2002); graduating in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, Public Relations and Speech Communications. In 2007 she graduated with a Master of Science degree in Sport Administration from UW - La Crosse and holds an Ed.D in Educational Leadership from National Louis University after completing her doctorate requirements in 2020.

In addition to her role as the head volleyball coach at UD, she serves as the department’s Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee and is an adjunct instructor. 

Coaching Record at the University of Dubuque