Going through a challenging ILH volleyball schedule can help a relatively young group grow up pretty quick.

Mid-Pacific endured some growing pains through the first round of league play, but head coach Luis Ramirez is confident the Owls came through a rough stretch bettered by the experience.

"It was a little painful but they grew through it and they’re playing better volleyball, which is what we want," Ramirez said of the Owls’ run of matches against Punahou (twice), Kamehameha and ‘Iolani over the past two weeks.

Mid-Pacific, ranked 10th in this week’s Star-Advertiser poll, bounced back with two wins this week and closed the first round with a 25-15, 25-17 win over Maryknoll on Thursday at Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.

The Owls (4-6) open the next phase of the season on Tuesday against top-ranked Punahou with matches going to a best-of-five format.

Freshman setter Madison Collier’s main task on Thursday was to find senior outside hitter Michelle Robinson, who led the Owls with eight kills and three service aces. Senior middle Abigail Lawson finished with three kills and three blocks and also had an ace as MPI pulled away from the Spartans (2-8) about midway through both sets.

"In the beginning it was a little shaky but we were able to pull through," said Robinson, who shares co-captain duties with Lawson.

"We’re young and then we have those seniors," Ramirez said. "They’re helping a lot going through the process."

MPI had just two hitting errors as a team and served up a total of six aces as Collier ran an efficient offense for the Owls, who also start freshman Leka Kiner-Falefa at outside hitter.

"They’re freshmen but they play a lot of volleyball; they’ve been playing six or seven years," Ramirez said. "You can see they do make those little freshman mistakes, but they play volleyball beyond their years."

Maryknoll stayed close early, tying the first set 11-11 on one of Asia Villa’s six kills. But a kill by MPI’s Jamie Hirai sent the Owls on a 7-1 run that included two kills by Robinson and an ace from Ariel Miyasaki.

MPI trailed 13-12 in the second set before scoring 10 of the next 11 points. Robinson hammered two kills and had three aces in the run and Kiner-Falefa eventually put down the final point.

"We’ve been struggling but this team is very capable of doing what needs to be done. We just haven’t found that X-factor," Maryknoll coach Toni Nishida said. "We start really well, the beginning and middle part of our games. … Finishing is where we struggle."