The LSU volleyball team is still trying to find its identity.LSU beat Tennessee, 3-1, Friday in its first home match of the season but lost, 3-0, to Kentucky on Sunday.Junior setter Sam Dabbs said the Tigers (6-5, 1-3) are still fighting over a hump after splitting the weekend homestand.”We came off Friday with a little too much confidence,” Dabbs said. “We thought we were already over it, but we still weren’t.”LSU coach Fran Flory said the team lacked mental toughness against Kentucky.”For whatever reason, this team wants to come out and size up their opponent instead of just coming out and setting the tempo ourselves,” Flory said. “We are certainly not to the level where we are controlling the match from the onset.”LSU’s offense hit .268 against Tennessee (8-5, 3-1) but only .139 against Kentucky (13-2, 4-0).”Our lack of poise on the offensive side of the ball cost us this match [against Kentucky],” Flory said.LSU was out-blocked on the weekend, 21-10, and had a combined 48 errors in both matches — 23 against Kentucky.”We felt out of sync,” said senior libero Elena Martinez. “We were kind of on a roller coaster as far as intensity and mental focus goes.”LSU’s contest Friday was its first home match of the season, with 965 fans cheering for the travel-worn Tigers.”The crowd was a huge factor in us winning,” Flory said. “It’s nice to get welcomed back on your home court with that type of enthusiasm.”Tennessee took the first set from LSU, 25-22, but LSU bounced back to win the next three sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-23).”We found our rhythm,” Flory said. “The start of [set] two we just decided ‘OK, let’s go play.'”The Tigers also got off to a slow start against the Wildcats, losing the first set 25-17.Kentucky took its first lead in the set at 6-5 and never relinquished it, stretching its lead to as many as nine points at 22-13.The second set was much closer, but LSU still fell, 25-21.The third set was the most exciting of the three with 11 ties and five lead changes.LSU seemed to have the third set locked up after a 19-12 lead.Kentucky fought back, tying the game at 22 and taking the lead at 23-22.The set went to extra points before Kentucky won, 29-27.”In [set] three when we started throwing it around and found some seams and scoring and got a big lead, then our egos took over,” Flory said. “We let them right back in, and we got ourselves in a dog fight, and we did not convert.”LSU plays at home again this weekend against Ole Miss on Friday and Arkansas on Sunday.—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]