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Four years ago, the Goldbergs — Barry and Bonnie — had a vision.

The husband and wife desired to raise the profile of women's volleyball in the Washington metropolitan region. So, as directors of the Metro American Volleyball Club, they decided to start their own tournament.

"We've always kind of been on the national volleyball scene," said Bonnie, who has been an assistant coach at Georgetown University (D.C.) and American University (D.C.). "With Barry being the head coach at American, we had always gone to major tournaments throughout the country to recruit. Our friends told us we had to do something in D.C."

Following the advice of Lauri Dagoftino and Kay Rogness, friends who run tournaments in Georgia and Colorado, respectively, the Goldbergs organized one of the premier club volleyball tournaments on the East Coast. From Saturday through Monday, thousands of players, families and coaches will pack the Washington Convention Center for the fourth annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic.

After starting off with 144 teams its inaugural year, the international tournament will now feature nearly 500 teams on 65 courts. Squads will originate from as far west as Denver, south as Florida and east as The Netherlands.

The Goldbergs are using technology to their advantage; the tournament's program can be downloaded through BlackBerry or other Smart Phones. Collegiate coaches and scouts will be capable of instantly pulling up information about a particular player in attendance.

"I would be lying if I didn't say this is great for Barry's recruiting since he can see so many kids in just one day," said Bonnie, whose daughter, Arielle, plays at NCAA Division I power Pacific University (Calif.). "We wanted to have this over Presidents' Day weekend since most people will be able to spend a little extra time there. It's beneficial to the kids and colleges since they may come in early or stay a day late and go visit schools."

Of the thousands who will be showcasing their skills, many county players will be involved, including several for the Damascus-based Metro American travel squads. Metro American consists of the best high school volleyball players from Maryland, Virginia and the District.

Unlike sports such as football and basketball, most volleyball recruiting occurs outside of the regular high school season. The best prep teams generally have several girls who play the sport year round.

Magruder, the county's best team last fall, finished with a school record 24 wins and was the Class 4A state runner-up. According to the Colonels' Web site, 13 of the 16 girls on their roster play for a team outside of school. Archrival Sherwood, which won a state title in 2006, has a strong, young nucleus that promises a contending future.

Warriors such as Alex Holston, Sydney West, Maddie Moyer and Kiley Haberman all play for Metro American's 15-year old travel team. Joe Moyer, Maddie's father and an assistant at the University of Maryland, coaches them.

"What those girls experience this year on a national level will be invaluable," Bonnie said. "They have gone up to Pennsylvania and will go to Kansas City and other places for tournaments on a national level. ... They may get beaten up by the competition, but they will be completely different human beings when they return to Sherwood in August."

the tournament

At least 15 players from county schools will be competing in the Capitol Hill Classic, a District-based tournament that will showcase nearly 500 teams spanning the globe.

Kathlyn Skolnik (Blair), Meagan Lagerlef (Blake), Kelly McShea (Covenant Life), Sam Edwards (Damascus), Maeve Drummey (Good Counsel), Frankie Emanuele (Good Counsel), Stephanie Minite (Good Counsel), Jessica Warner (Northwest), Teynia Shepherd (Paint Branch), Kelly Rosenburg (Poolesville), Kiley Haberman (Sherwood), Alex Holston (Sherwood), Maddie Moyer (Sherwood), Sydney West (Sherwood), Dominique Parker (Washington Christian Academy)