Shari Bernhardt is a seasoned volleyball coach and former Division I athlete with over a decade of experience developing athletes across indoor, beach, and collegiate volleyball. She began her coaching career at Circle City VBC while still in college, where she also played for nine years. After relocating to Southern California, Shari helped launch a youth club in Costa Mesa and went on to spend six years at the nationally recognized Tstreet Volleyball Club. There, she held multiple coaching roles and led the club’s strength and conditioning program for all age groups.
Shari also served as an assistant coach for the Vanguard University Women’s Volleyball team for three seasons, where she played a key role in recruitment and player development. Her coaching journey in SoCal also included time with Sand Soul, a competitive beach volleyball club.
As a player, Shari was a four-year starter and two-year captain at IUPUI, competing as both an outside hitter and libero. She still holds the program’s all-time digs record and was named Defensive Player of the Week seven times. Her playing career extended to the beach, where she competed in local tournaments and the AVP Qualifier circuit. At 28, she spent a year abroad playing for Bournemouth University and the National League team BU Wessex in the UK.