Photo courtesy Pepperdine athletics.

Jonathan Winder, a 6-8 setter for then-No. 5 Pepperdine University, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. Winder’s 12.25 assists per game lead the Waves to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship and an automatic berth into this week’s NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship in Irvine, the city where the setter starred in both volleyball and basketball in high school.  In the semifinals of the tournament on Thursday, Winder collected 35 assists, two digs and six blocks as Pepperdine swept by top-seeded and then-No. 2 Long Beach State University.  On Saturday, after going through graduation ceremonies in Malibu in the morning, Winder returned to Long Beach to lead his team to a come-from-behind, five-game victory over then-No. 3 BYU, amassing a double-double with 63 assists and 15 digs, adding five blocks.  During the fourth game of that match, he became the first Pepperdine player to surpass the 5,000-career assist mark.  Along with his impressive assist average, Winder also had marks of 2.12 digs and 1.38 blocks per game last week.  This is the 19th time a player from Pepperdine has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. It is also the third time Winder has won the award in his career, previously receiving it on Feb. 5, 2007 and March 14, 2005. The Waves are coached by Marv Dunphy.