Lakeland University junior middle blocker Laura Pearson (San Diego, Calif.) has been named the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference's Women's Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, as announced by the conference Tuesday.

Pearson received the honor for her work blocking at the net in the Muskies' successful weekend at the Coe College Mabel Lee Invite this past Friday and Saturday. She finished with 14 blocks in the tourney, averaging 3.5 blocks per match and one block per set as Lakeland finished 3-1 in the invitational.

The 5-foot-10 junior had her biggest match on Saturday against Cornell (Iowa) College, finishing with six blocks (three solo, three assisted). Pearson also added four assisted blocks on Friday against Coe (Iowa) College and added two blocks each against the University of Dubuque (Iowa) and Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) College.

Pearson is in her first season with the Muskies after transferring from Cuyamaca (Calif.) College and has started all 14 games this season. She leads Lakeland with 40 blocks (eight solo, 32 assisted) and has added 29 kills, 40 digs and 13 service aces. Pearson also leads the NACC in total blocks and ranks sixth in the conference with 0.80 blocks per set.

Pearson is the first Muskie to receive an NACC weekly award since teammate Samya Hughes (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) was named the conference's top offensive player late last season.

Lakeland is 9-5 overall on the season and next faces Edgewood University in its conference play opener Thursday night in Madison.