Gopher volleyball season ends with loss to Ohio State in Sweet 16

MINNEAPOLIS -- Gopher volleyball's playoff run came to an end on Thursday afternoon after a loss to Ohio State.

The two teams - which met twice during the Big Ten season - were facing off for a spot in the elite eight. The Gophers took the first set, but the Buckeyes came back to win the the last three.

The last time these teams met, Minnesota put on a dominant 3-1 performance in Columbus. Ohio State ended their regular season with a four-game losing streak - including two losses to unranked teams - which had many people wondering if they would be able to make a deep run in the tournament.

But they came back with a vengeance and put a stop to Minnesota's physical offense; Big Ten Player of the Year Taylor Landfair struggled, hitting .239 on 46 attempts. Ohio State was led by Emily Londot, who hit .500.

It was also Coach Hugh McCutcheon's last game with this Gopher team; he announced mid-season that he'd be stepping away from coaching. He will begin a new position as the U's associate athletic director.

Ohio State will head to the regional finals for the first time since 2004. They'll take on the winner of the Texas-Marquette match on Saturday.