NEWARK, NJ--Senior middle blocker Luca Berger has been selected Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Defensive Player of the Week the league office announced Monday afternoon.

In a 1-1 week for the Highlanders, Berger was the driving force in the Highlanders' upset sweep of No. 12 Southern California on January 10 at the AVCA Showcase at George Mason.

The senior racked up 11 total blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs, in a 3-0 sweep of the Trojans. He added two kills on three swings to hit .667 while helping NJIT to a decisive 17-3 blocking advantage and holding USC to .044 hitting.

Berger added five kills and two blocks the against No. 7 Stanford, combining for weekly totals of seven kills, .267 hitting, 13 blocks and 1.86 blocks per set in the Highlanders' opening matches of the season.

This is the fourth career weekly EIVA award for Berger.