ELMHURST, Ill. -- The Summit League has announced that IUPUI sophomore volleyball player Shari Bernhardt has been named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week.

Bernhardt is receiving the award for the first time in her career and is the third Jaguar volleyball player to be honored by The Summit League in 2009, joining teammates Danielle Goodnight and Rachel Holmes.

While IUPUI went 1-2 on the week, the 5-foot-8 libero compiled three of the finest defensive performances of her career, finishing with 63 digs in the three-match span, an average of 6.3 digs per set.  In all three matches, Bernhardt led the Jaguars in digs while chipping in three service aces to help the Jags offensively as well.

Against Valparaiso, Bernhardt led the Jags with 17 of the squad's 66 digs in a three-set loss.  In IUPUI's 3-0 sweep of South Dakota State, Bernhardt tallied 19 digs and a key service ace to pace the Jaguars.  The Plainfield H.S.-product capped the week by recording a career-high 27 digs, fueling IUPUI's defensive effort as they nearly snapped North Dakota State's then-31-match conference winning streak in a 3-1 defeat.

Bernhardt's play was one of the main reasons that IUPUI averaged 21.10 digs per set over the week; the Jaguars currently rank 12th in the NCAA in digging through Oct. 18, just a year after leading the NCAA in digs per set.

Currently sitting in fourth place in The Summit League, IUPUI will hit the road for key matches at Centenary and Oral Roberts on Friday and Saturday, respectively.  Both matches will start at 8 p.m. ET.