The Accountancy (ACC) Griffins Women’s Volleyball Team defeated a familiar foe from the School of Business and Governance as they dished out a 25-16, 25-19, 25-22 masterclass against the Business and Management (B&M) Vipers to capture the championship throne at 2023 Palarong Atenista: The Next Level.

Winning the title they last won in 2017, the Griffins bucked a diesel start to dominate the first set with their stable floor defense against the onslaught of wayward spikes and high freeballs from the Vipers. 

The second set was no different from the first as the Griffins prevented the Vipers from entering the 20-point mark. The Xyllah Nillas-led squad proved that their team’s offensive assets were too much to bear for the Vipers to level the game at one set apiece.

Miscommunication and service errors bedeviled the Griffins’ title-quest in the third set, but it was their endurance to finish long rallies and the Rivera-Montes outside hitter duo which spelled the difference to narrowly escape the furious Viper comeback.

“Throughout the game, na-build namo ang among teamwork and unity, which are, I guess, the key [factors] jud ngano mi nadaog for today’s game,” opposite hitter and captain Xyllah Nillas told Atenews.

For Nillas, instilling a winning mindset was the game-changing element that helped them claw their way back to the top despite the constant challenge of coinciding their team practice due to their differing class schedules.

“Ang mindset lang jud namo is kaya namo ni daugon, na hardwork never betrays jud,” she added. 

Settling for bronze this year are last year’s champions, the School of Nursing Panthers, who were eliminated by the Vipers in the semifinals match last October 6.

The Panthers secured the podium finish after they vanquished last year’s fellow championship rival, the School of Engineering and Architecture, for the Battle for Third.

The championship game was held at 7th Floor Martin Hall and was live streamed via the Ateneo de Davao University Facebook Page on October 12.