MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Fifth-year senior defender Mackenzie Aunkst of the West Virginia University women’s soccer team has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Wednesday.

Aunkst earns the honor for the first time in her career, while the Mountaineers collect the Defensive Player of the Week nod for the second week in a row.

A native of Harrison City, Pennsylvania, Aunkst helped lead West Virginia to a pair of conference road victories at Kansas State and Kansas last week. She and the WVU defense earned a pair of shutouts in the victories, holding K-State and KU to just two shots on goal in each match. Aunkst started both matches and played all 180 minutes of action in the two contests.

The Mountaineer defense now has nine shutouts on the season, ranking second in the Big 12 in shutout percentage (.529). Aunkst and the back line have now posted four straight clean sheets and have held their last four opponents to four shots on goal or fewer in each game.

After a week off, West Virginia returns to Morgantown for the regular-season finale against Cincinnati on Monday, Oct. 23. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. It’s Senior Night, and the Mountaineers will honor seven senior members of the squad prior to the match.