On Thursday night in Pittsburgh, the youth-filled Gophers got a front-row seat to the level of play they’ll aspire to reach in the years to come.

Minnesota made an impressive late-season run to reach Thursday’s NCAA Regional semifinals, but the Gophers fell in straight sets to Pittsburgh, 25-16, 25-23, 25-22.

The Panthers (29-4) — the No. 4 ranked team in the country and top seed in the region — hit .271 in the victory. Pitt hasn’t lost at home since Sept. 14, 2023.

The Panthers will host the regional final on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four at stake.

The Gophers, seeded fourth in the regional, put up a fight. After Pitt controlled the first set, Minnesota pulled to a 23-23 tie in the second set after a kill from senior star Julia Hanson. But the Panthers responded to score t

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