In loving memory of founder Barry Goldberg
Barry grew up in the city of Pittsburgh, PA and comes from a hard-working town that fueled his passion for sports. He discovered the rich tradition of boys’ volleyball in the state of Pennsylvania in his early high school years and it quickly became the sport he loved. He found continued success with the men’s team at Pitt, ranked 13th nationally his junior season, only to receive the devastating news that the men’s varsity program would be cut his senior season. Barry rallied the team and finished his senior season as the player/coach, competing in non-varsity status against Division I programs that included Penn State, Ohio State, George Mason, Army and Navy. This was the beginning of what is now approaching almost four decades of coaching.
As a student athlete, Barry earned a BA degree in Communication and Rhetoric, and while pursuing a MEd degree in Counseling Education, he became the assistant coach for the Pitt women’s team. After moving and working at a drug rehabilitation program in Washington, DC, he had the opportunity to join the coaching staff at Georgetown University where he met his wife, Bonnie. In 1989, he became the head coach of the women’s team at American and is now entering his 34th season at the helm of AU Volleyball.
Barry’s impact on the sport of volleyball in the DC area is legendary, including 15 years as Director of Metro American Volleyball Club and being the mastermind behind the creation of the annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic. His AU Hall of Fame status is supported by over 800 career wins, ranking him fourth among active NCAA DI head coaches, along with a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2013 and a 266-21 Patriot League record over 20 years. Barry was recently inducted into the AVCA Coaching Hall of Fame and the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the sport of volleyball.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Bonnie ‘Covey’ found much success as a multi-sport athlete. By her senior year in high school, she committed to the sport of volleyball and to a full athletic scholarship at American University in Washington, DC. After a successful freshman year, American cut the women’s program and Bonnie transferred to Eastern Michigan University to continue her athletic career. After earning all-conference honors at EMU, she was offered a professional contract to play for the Kussnacht Volleyball Club in Switzerland. Upon her return to the States, she was offered an assistant coaching position at Georgetown University, where she would eventually meet her husband, Barry Goldberg. After two seasons at Georgetown, Bonnie returned to American University to begin a post graduate degree and become the assistant coach for the AU program.
Bonnie earned her BS degree in Physical Education and Psychology, and a MS degree in Health Fitness Management. In the early 2000’s, she was Assistant Director of Metro American Volleyball Club in Washington, D.C. In 2007, the Goldberg’s started the Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic tournament at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
After starting her career in the fashion industry, Lauri always had her eye on the volleyball. Along with her husband Randy, Lauri started their first volleyball tournament. That tournament exploded into the Big South National Qualifier. The tournament outgrew its original home in Tampa and relocated to Atlanta where it has remained since 2005 filling close to a million square feet with over 170 courts. The tournament attracts more than 50,000 people and over 1,200 teams from around the country, all vying for a bid to the Girls Junior National Volleyball Championship.
Lauri has added more tournaments to the lineup with Music City Volleyball Championships in New Orleans and Lil’ Big South in Atlanta.
Randy Dagostino has always been an athlete. As a high school student, he competed in three different sports and played baseball at the collegiate level for the University of Illinois, Chicago. After college, Randy became a coach in Chicago for baseball, golf, and basketball. To escape the harsh winters, Randy moved to Florida and became the head girls’ volleyball coach for Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa unknowingly starting a dynasty. Since then, Randy’s girls’ volleyball teams have won 15 state championships and boasted a postseason record of 96-10 making 17 FHSAA Finals appearances. His career coaching record of 829-161 helped him receive the Coach of the Year honors seven times and be inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2008. Randy played a major role in the development of girls’ volleyball in Florida by starting the first club volleyball program in 1984 starting the popularity of the sport that has since grown to more than 100 clubs across the state. He served as a member of the FHSAA’s Volleyball Advisory Committee and organized the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Volleyball All-Star Match for 7 years.
Mitch Goldberg, youngest son of tournament founders Barry & Bonnie Goldberg, joined the team at Capitol Hill Classic shortly after Barry was diagnosed with cancer.
Mitch was a former Division 1 lacrosse player and two-time captain at the University of Richmond, where he led his team to multiple conference championships and was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List. After his playing career, Mitch joined the coaching staff at University of Richmond while finishing his Master's Degree.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Mitch holds a Bachelor's degree in Business with a focus on Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management.
Chandler grew up in Cleveland, OH and Baltimore, MD, surrounded by a family of sport-loving athletes. He was able to take his passion for sports to the workplace, where he currently leads the Sports Fitness Industry Association’s Business Development team and Volleyball Council.
Chandler has spent the last 7 years connecting and working with decision makers across the sports & fitness industry. Most recently, he was responsible for leading several successful virtual events during a time of economic uncertainty.
Outside the office, Chandler is a huge Cleveland sports fan and loves to watch Minnesota and Ohio State sports. He is also an avid distance runner, basketball player, and plays just about every sport with his close family and friends. Chandler and his wife are recently married and reside just outside Baltimore, MD with their Doberman, 2 Cats, and a Bearded Dragon that keep them busy.
While growing up in the Washington, DC area, Arielle played volleyball for Metro American Volleyball Club and competed in the 1st and 2nd annual Capitol Hill Classic. Arielle then went on to play collegiate volleyball at University of the Pacific where she received a B.A. in Communications. After graduation, Arielle was brought on as the Administrative Director of Bay to Bay boys’ volleyball club in Northern California where her current responsibilities include organizing schedules, registration, social media and advertising for the club.
Under Arielle's leadership, Bay to Bay has seen a steady increase in its online following, becoming one of the most followed boys’ volleyball clubs on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. Arielle currently resides in San Jose, California with her husband Matt, and daughters, Rylie and Hallie.
Matt was born and raised in San Jose, California and attended University of the Pacific where he was the starting outside hitter and team captain. Matt was a 3-time Academic All-Conference selection, and was voted the Most Inspirational Player by his teammates 4 years in a row while graduating with a degree in Sport Management and Business.
He is in charge of all website design and upkeep, ensuring that the Capitol Hill Classic provides a simple, clean, and easy to navigate online experience for all of its attendees.
Matt is also the Club Director of Bay to Bay Volleybal Club in San Jose, California. As a coach for Bay to Bay, Matt has guided sixteen teams to a top-5 finish or better at the Open level of Junior Nationals: including two gold medals, two silver medals, and six bronze medals.
Sarah grew up in Louisville, KY, and played volleyball for one of the premier junior clubs in the region, Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA). She continued her volleyball career at American University, where she helped the Eagles achieve a 109–27 overall record, win three Patriot League Championships, and advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2013. She earned her master’s degree in Health Promotion Management from American University in 2017.
After working for the Department of Health Studies at American and the American Heart Association, Sarah returned to AU Volleyball as an assistant coach, completing eight seasons with her alma mater. She now serves as a communications specialist in the Office of the Mayor in Louisville, KY.
Sarah resides in Louisville with her husband, YY, and their children, Wale and Ravely.