Left unsigned, Niegos proves she deserves second shot with Capital1
Capital1 rookie Bella Belen had another 20-point game for the sixth straight game in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
That wasn’t the story anymore.
Instead, it was about how the top overall pick finally got a lot of help on offense—including from someone who was almost no longer her teammate.
Sydney Niegos wasn’t renewed by Capital1 in the offseason. Her heart was broken, her love for the sport severely tested.
“When I got removed from the team, I was really down,” Niegos said in Filipino. “For a whole month, I didn’t even look at a volleyball or step on the court. I didn’t play at all,” she said, adding she was prepared to shift careers already—she applied to be an enforcer for the Land Transportation Office.
“I … got accepted. I was already in a seminar, when I got the call,” she added.
That call came from coach Jorge Souza De Brito, who gave her a second chance.
The former Jose Rizal University standout repaid that trust on Thursday, unleashing a career-high 20 points as Capital1 survived Farm Fresh in a five-set thriller, 26-24, 20-25, 28-26, 20-25, 15-11, at FilOil Centre in San Juan City.
“I didn’t hesitate,” she said about the call that led her to her best performance this season. “It’s different when the coach calls you; it means he believes in you. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity. You know how it is in volleyball—only a few make it to the pros. So I grabbed it.”
Belen finished with 23 points, 19 excellent receptions, and 12 digs, but the Solar Spikers improved to a 3-3 record largely because she had lots of support, especially from Niegos, who played her heart out with 17 kills, two blocks, and an ace,
“I don’t want to lose Coach’s trust,” Niegos, a BS Criminology graduate, said. “This is already my second chance with Capital1, they brought me back. So every game, every training, I give my best. Even when I’m hurting, I still give everything I’ve got.”
“I just want to prove to Coach that bringing me back wasn’t a mistake. I want to help Bella and contribute to the team. I just want to give my all so we can win, especially against Farm Fresh. We’ve been together for two years and had never beaten them until now, so I’m really proud that we finally did.”
De Brito knew that Niegos would deliver for the team after he brought the opposite spiker back.
“I’m really confident that she can deliver more than this and [be] more consistent,” De Brito said. “But for now, [I’m] happy because she trusts the process and also trusts her teammates.”
Niegos said her comeback wasn’t easy; she got scolded by her coach as she wasn’t in top shape when she returned to training.
But her decision to rejoin Capital1 and let go of her newfound job was worth it.
“This was my best game, and it was my first time being named Player of the Game,” she said. “I’m just really thankful for the trust Coach gave me. He didn’t sub me out much, and I got to play longer. I’m very thankful for his trust. And the same goes for me, I trust him too. Whether he puts me in or not, I believe in whatever plan he has for the game.”
