Sophomore Tabitha Love has been granted a release from her volleyball scholarship, a team spokesman confirmed Sunday.

Love, a 6-foot-6-inch outside hitter, has not participated in the GophersâÄô spring practices and requested to be taken off the team roster, the spokesman said.

Last season Love played 121 sets and finished second on the team with 420 kills, but first in average with 3.47 kills per set.

In 2009, Love was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was a major force in leading Minnesota to the Final Four.

Multiple reports have said Love will transfer to UCLA, but nothing has been officially announced. The Bruins finished last season ranked No. 20 in the country compared to the Gophers at No. 9.

Veteran coach Mike Hebert retired in December and current U.S. womenâÄôs national team head coach Hugh McCutcheon was hired as his replacement in February. While McCutcheon finishes his tenure with the national team, which runs through the 2012 Olympics, former Hebert assistant Laura Bush will act as interim head coach.

Love has 2 years of NCAA eligibility remaining.