ELMHURST, Ill. -- The Summit League has announced that IUPUI sophomore volleyball player Shari Bernhardt has been named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week.  Bernhardt had a career-high 37 digs in the Jaguars’ 3-2 win at Western Illinois.

Bernhardt is taking home the honor for the third time in four weeks this season and gives IUPUI six conference player of the week awards in 2009.  Danielle Goodnight has won offensive player of the week on two occasions, while Rachel Holmes won defensive player of the week earlier this season.

Needing a victory to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament, Bernhardt helped IUPUI rally for a 3-2 road win with a career-high 37 digs.  The total was the second-most in IUPUI volleyball history and the second-best total in The Summit League this season.

With 535 digs this year, Bernhardt already has the fifth-best total in school history; 72 more digs would give her the single-season school record.

In going 12-6 in conference play, the Jaguars achieved their best Summit League mark since the 2000 squad tied for first place with a 13-3 mark; IUPUI’s 20 wins this season are a new single-season school record.

The Jaguars will look to pick up their first Summit League Tournament title when they travel to Fargo, N.D., for a match with No. 3 seed IPFW on Friday, Nov. 20.  The match will start at 6 p.m. ET from the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse, with the winner meeting the victor of the North Dakota State-UMKC match on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. ET.  Streaming video and live stats of all the matches can be found at www.TheSummitLeague.org.