Sydney Niegos turned a hard-earned second chance into a career night, pouring in a personal-best 20 points to lift Capital1 Solar Spikers past Farm Fresh Foxies in a five-set thriller.
Tears of joy ran down Sydney Niegos after delivering her best game yet in the PVL.
Already once out of the door, Niegos erupted for a career-high 20 points to lift Capital1 past Farm Fresh in a dramatic five-set win, 26-24, 20-25, 28-26, 20-25, 15-11, in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the FilOil Centre in San Juan on Thursday, February 26.
Niegos’ breakout night marked her first-ever Player of the Game honor—a breakthrough she had long chased.
"Super happy po talaga," Niegos said during the post-game press conference. "Eto 'yung best game ko. First time ko mag-POG. Sobrang thankful po sa tiwala na binigay sa akin ni coach."
A phone call that changed everything
The outburst came with heavy emotional weight.
Niegos had been released by Capital1 during the offseason and had already begun moving on, applying for a job as a law enforcer with the Land Transportation Office.
"Kaya super down," she shared. "One month po akong hindi tumingin sa bola, sa court. Hindi ako naglaro."
The B.S. Criminology graduate from Jose Rizal University was already deep into the process—accepted, attending seminars, taking tests—when a call changed everything.
"Nasa seminar na po ako nung tinawagan niya ako," Niegos recalled. "Hindi po ako nagdalawang-isip. Iba po kapag coach na 'yung tumawag sa'yo."
That call came from head coach Jorge de Brito, who brought her back into the fold. For Niegos, it was a second chance she refused to waste.
"Ayaw ko po mawala 'yung trust ni coach," she said. “Every chance na binibigay niya sa akin, gusto ko ibigay 'yung best ko—every game, every training. Kahit masakit, binibigay ko pa rin."
Capital1's Sydney Niegos spikes the ball past Farm Fresh blockers. | Photo: PVL
Returning was anything but easy. After a month away from volleyball, Niegos had to claw her way back, earning minutes, absorbing hard coaching, and pushing through physical pain.
"Tinanggap ko lahat," she said. "Sinisigawan niya ako, pinapagalitan niya ako. Lagi po kaming nagaaway pero tinanggap ko lahat. Tiwala lang talaga sa dasal."
That perseverance paid off in the biggest way, as she helped the Solar Spikers beat the Foxies for the first time since the team was formed two years ago.
"Very proud po ako kasi natalo namin sila ngayon," Niegos said. "Gusto ko lang tumulong kay Bella [Belen], tumulong sa team, at manalo."
"Gusto ko lang patunayan kay coach na hindi nasayang 'yung pagbalik niya sa akin, na pwede niya pa akong bigyan ng chance."
[ALSO READ: Bella Belen finds Capital1 scoring gap 'concerning' as 'volleyball is team effort']
—
Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.