Staff photo by Rod Mikinski Kansas State’s Jenny Jantsch goes up for a kill against Missouri on Wednesday at Ahearn Field House. The Wildcats won in four games, rebounding from a three-game sweep at Texas last weekend.

Coming off it's second loss of the Big 12 Conference season Saturday at Texas, the K-State volleyball team almost let another one slip through its grasp.

The No. 16 Wildcats held off the Missouri Tigers long enough on Wednesday night to win in four games — 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22 at Ahearn Field House.

K-State (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) started the night off by dropping the first set 25-23. The Wildcats were led in kills and errors by Rita Liliom. Natalya Korobkova followed Liliom with four kills in five attempts. Abby Fay led K-State with 13 assists.

The Tigers (8-8, 2-4 Big 12) kept the heat on in the second set, making the Wildcats fight for the 25-22 win. K-State scored three straight points to take a 24-19 lead, and then held off the Tigers  to take the game. Liliom and Korobkova added another four kills each. Soriana Pacheco had 10 assists.

K-State looked like a Top 25 team in the nation at the beginning of the third game, jumping out to a 7-2 lead. Midway through the set, the Wildcats still looked strong leading 17-8. Slowly, the Tigers crept back into the game with 7-2 run to cut the score to 23-20. K-State scored its 24th point, but then let Missouri score three straight before the Wildcats closed out the set with a 25-23 win.

K-State coach Suzie Fritz said her team wasn't ready for Missouri to be as balanced as they were.

"We felt like they were going to be mostly a left side dominant team," Fritz said. "We did a pretty good job against their left side attack, but they distributed the ball a lot more evenly than we thought they could — a ton more then I think we were prepared for."

The Wildcats were led in kills by Korobkova who had five. Liliom had her worst set of the night going for three kills and six errors. The set brought her hitting percentage to -.022.

Fritz said she was pleased with the changes they made with Liliom struggling.

"I did feel like we made a nice adjustment and when Rita struggled we distributed the ball a little bit more and the quicks got involved and that was effective for us," Fritz said.

K-State opened the fourth set by once again taking a 7-2 lead. The Wildcats couldn't hold the lead, and Missouri came back to tie the game at 11. With the game tied 14-14, K-State scored six of the next seven points to take control 20-15.

Up 23-20, the Wildcats let the Tigers score the next two to pull within one before K-State finally grabbed control and won 25-23.

Fritz said her team let Missouri come back the last two games.

"I don't know what I contribute that to — lack of focus, lack of sense of urgency," Fritz said. "There is just obviously something there.

"I don't know what it is right now."

Liliom scored just three kills in the final set, but had her best game as far as errors go, finishing with zero. Korobkova led five Wildcats in double-figures for kills with 16. Megan Farr and Kelsey Chipman had 11 and Jenny Jantsch had 10. Pacheco finished the match with 38 assists.

K-State goes back on the road Saturday when it travels to Norman for a match with Oklahoma.