SEATTLE — The match played tricks on Mike Hebert.
The veteran coach has watched a lot of matches in his 15 seasons with Gophers. Seeing his team near victory in all three sets against California in the NCAA regional semifinals Friday night, then eventually dropping all three, left him with a strange feeling.
"It was a peculiar match," Hebert said. "I just felt all match long like we were winning. And then you look up at the end and we made a couple mistakes and we lose."
Seventh-seeded Cal had to dig out of jams in all three sets, rallying from behind late in each one for a 26-24, 25-23, 25-23 victory over the 10th-seeded Gophers at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
The Gophers' bid for a national championship ended in their sixth visit to college volleyball's Sweet 16.
"I'm extremely proud of this team for coming through what they've come through this year and playing as well as they have," said Hebert, whose team finished in a tie for second in the Big Ten this season. "It's been a terrific ride."
That ride ended for senior Lauren Gibbemeyer, a three-time All-Big Ten middle blocker whom Hebert called one of the nation's best players. She helped lead the Gophers to the Final Four last season, when they lost to Texas in the national semifinals.
"We had expectations to go all the way and definitely make it back to the Final Four," Gibbemeyer said. "It's always really upsetting when you don't make that goal. Like Coach Hebert said, we were right there with them every game. It was the crucial points, the end of the set points that really made the difference."