It took the LSU volleyball team three matches before it was able to win its first set of the 2012 campaign when it beat Cal Poly 25-19, 25-21 and 25-15 in the Longhorn Classic in Austin, Texas.

Matches against No. 2 Texas and No. 19 San Diego proved to be too much for the Tigers who lost in straight sets to both teams.

LSU coach Fran Flory didn’t mince words after the match when voicing her displeasure with her team’s two-loss performance.

“I don’t think we played at a high level for a lot of the weekend,” Flory said. “It wasn’t a great start, it wasn’t even a good start.”

LSU totaled 60 hitting errors on a .155 hitting clip through its three matches on the weekend.

Defensively, the Tigers out-blocked their opponents 21-17 — including an 11-3 performance against San Diego — an area that LSU spent a considerable amount of focus on during the offseason.

“This was an opportunity to see what we have to do if we want to be in the top 20,” Flory said. “The system Texas ran and the athletes they had, we’re not going to play someone like that again.”

Freshmen Khourtni Fears and Cati Leak both saw significant playing time in their collegiate debuts, including starts in all three games.

Leak posted her first career double-double against Cal Poly, recording 11 kills and 15 digs which vaulted her weekend totals to 24 kills and 24 digs.

Leak said she was nervous heading into her first game but in later sets she was able to settle down.

“They were OK,” Flory said. “Cati carried a huge load. Khourtni is still working to get into the system. They played like freshman this weekend. We’re going to have to ask them to grow up fast.”

Flory said the lineup the Tigers played with in the opening weekend won’t be the lineup they use going into their first Southeastern Conference match on Sept. 14 when LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide.

The Tigers return to the PMAC for their season home opener in the Tiger Classic when Rice, Washington and Purdue roll in Baton Rouge on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.