Gophers volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon announced that Erica Handley has been accepted to the university and will join the Gophers volleyball program next semester. Handley, a 6-1 setter who played at Lakeville North and for the Northern Lights club team, is transferring to the Gophers after playing a season at Syracuse.

"We're excited to have Erica return to her home state and join the Minnesota volleyball program," McCutcheon said in a statement.

In her freshman year with the Orange, Handley played in all 32 matches and 122 sets. As the primary setter, Handley had 1,073 assists, 73 kills and a team-best 29 aces. Named the ACC freshman of the week twice, Handley ranked 10th in the league with 8.80 assists per set.

She helped Lakeville North win the 2012 Class 3A championship and was a member of the all-tournament team for the second time. She also was a three-time all-state selection, four-time all-conference honoree, a team captain and produced 3,775 career assists.