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

Bernhardt takes home the award for the first time in her career and is the first Jaguar honored by The Summit League in the 2010-11 athletic season.

The junior keyed IUPUI’s back row throughout five matches last week, beginning with a 35-dig effort in the Jaguars 3-1 loss to Indiana State on Tuesday. The dig total was the second-most in a four-set match in school history and the most since IUPUI moved to Division I.

The Plainfield H.S.-product continued her record-setting weekend at the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational, averaging 26.3 digs per match in the four-match tournament. Bernhardt keyed IUPUI’s 3-1 win over DePaul on Saturday night, tallying 33 digs.

The victory over DePaul was the first win for the IUPUI volleyball program over a BCS-conference opponent.

On Sunday, Bernhardt entered the IUPUI record book once more, picking up 36 digs in the Jaguars 3-2 loss to Wright State. The total was the third-best in a five-set match in school history and one shy of her career high.

The Jaguars will look to add to their wins total when they play three matches during the week. IUPUI heads to Muncie, Ind., to meet Ball State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The Jags open their Summit League schedule on the road on Friday, when they play Oral Roberts at 8 p.m. ET. The road trip wraps up on Sunday, when IUPUI takes on Centenary at 3 p.m. ET.