"I have had the pleasure leading Metro as a Club Director for the past 9 seasons. I feel extremely fortunate to surround myself with some of the best club volleyball coaches and staff in the country. It has been rewarding to watch our sport grow and become Nationally competitive in our area. In the short 9 years, we have qualified 26 teams at the Open level (many of the teams earning multiple bids) and 56 teams earned bids to GJNC.  Our teams in the East, South, Central and North are expanding and have won numerous medals including Regionals and CHC. We look forward to pushing forward and making strides both at the National level as well as growing the sport of volleyball in our area.  Metro is not just a club to me and my staff, Metro is Family"

Silvia Johnson is in the 10th season as the Club Director of Metro Volleyball Club, in that short time Metro has been able to achieve 26 Open Teams and put themselves on the National Stage.  In 2024 Metro's National Club ranking was 21st, Metro is the only club in the CHRVA region to be ranked in the top 70!  

• Since 2003, all of the athletes Johnson has coached on the 18 Travel Team have gone on to play at the collegiate level
• In 2024, all 15 athletes on the 18 Travel team went to play Divisions 1 Volleyball.   18 Travel was able to Triple Qualify winning the Northeast Qualifier and winning a Bronze at the Ohio Valley Qualifier.  They also finished in the Gold Bracket in all 5 Qualifiers finishing the season ranked #9 in the Nation.
• In 2023, all 15 athletes on the 18 Travel team went to play at the Collegiate Level.  With 13 of the athletes going on to play Division 1.  18 Travel was able to Triple Qualify and finished the season ranked #17 in the Nation
• In 2022, all 13 athletes went on to play at the Division 1 level.  The 18 Travel Team ended the season with a record of  58-10 and ranked #11 in the Nation. The team was able to Triple Qualify for an Open Bid including Gold at Ohio Valley Qualifier, Silver at Mid-East Qualifier and Bronze at Northeast Qualifier.
• In 2021, even though the season was cut short the 18 Travel team was able to earn an Open Bid to GJNC. All Athletes went on to play at the next level.
• In 2020,  18 Travel ended the season with a record of 56-13 & had 32 matches against Open Qualified teams with a record of 22-10 (all but one of those losses were in 3). They triple qualified for 18 Open at Ohio Valley, NEQ and MEQ. Metro 18 Travel has all 15 players committed to Division 1 programs.
• In 2019  Metro Volleyball Club had two teams earn a medal at Nationals and 16 Travel had the highest finish in CHRVA history at the Open Level GJNC.
• In 2018 her 18 Travel team won a Bronze Medal at GJNC at the National level. They also won a silver medal at the Northeast Qualifier in the Open level.  
• In 2017 Metro Volleyball Club was 1 of only 7 teams in the Nation to qualify 5 of more teams in the Open Division of the Girl’s Junior National Championships. All 6 travel teams earned a bid to the Girl’s Junior National Championships.  The 18s team earned 2 Open Bids. 
• In 2017 her team made history by being the only team in the CHRVA Region to double qualify for the Open Division for the Girl’s Junior National Championships. 
• In 2016 Silvia Johnson’s team was the only team in the CHRVA Region to qualify for the Open Division for the Girl’s Junior National Championships.  
• In 2015 her team made history and became the first National Champion in the CHRVA Region by Winning the Girls Junior 18 National Division! 

Every athlete that played for Silvia Johnson’s Metro 18 Travel team, as well as Metro American VBC, went on to play collegiate volleyball.

Prior to establishing Metro in 2015, Silvia (Panak) Johnson spent 9 seasons ast the head coach of the Metro American VBC 18 Travel team and was in charge of the coaching staff and training. 

In her short time as Metro Volleyball Club Director Johnson has lead her club to National Rankings higher than anyone in the history of the Region.  Not only has she been able to take the club to new heights she has also grown the sport in the CHRVA Region with adding new teams and providing the club to serve many different areas in the DMV.  

As a testimony to Silvia's drive and knowledge as a head coach, all of her players have gone on to play volleyball in college and beyond.  Silvia has coached players that has gone on to represent the USA National Teams as well as players who have gone on to play professionally overseas. 

Silvia served as the assistant coach for American University alongside head coach, Barry Goldberg. During her time with the Eagles, AU won 5 conference championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament 5 times.

Johnson played her junior and senior years for American University, winning the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship both years. She was named team MVP in 1999 and American University Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2000. A two-time All-CAA selection, Johnson was ranked among the NCAA leaders in aces in both of her seasons at American. Before transferring to American, Johnson played for Long Beach State and was a part of the undefeated 1998 NCAA Championship team. Johnson still holds the school record for most assists in a match at 75, which she accomplished twice in her career. She is the career leader at AU for assists per game and is eighth all-time in aces per game.

Silvia currently has collegiate athletes, Tatiana and Natalia. Tatiana is a setter at the University of South Florida. Natalia is a libero/ds for McDanielle College.

"Working with Metro brings a level of competitiveness and experience that prepares athletes for the next level.  I love working with these students that seek to challenge themselves to be their best."

Patti Westenberg is the Central Region Director and 18 Central Head Coach for Metro Volleyball Club in Washington D.C. 

Patti serves at the Head Coach for Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland, since 2023.  She was the Head Coach at Frederick Community College in Frederick Maryland 2017-2022 and currently serves as the MDJUCO Volleyball Coaches Association President and MC Student Life Club Volleyball Advisor.  During her career coaching volleyball she worked for 9 seasons at Michigan Elite Volleyball Club.  She also was an assistant coach for NCAA DII Wayne State University in Detroit MI.  While coaching at Cousino High School in Warren Michigan she was awarded the Macomb Area Conference Coach of the year (2005-2006). 

A graduate of Warren Mott High School, Westenberg was an All-Region Player and Team MVP at Macomb Community College (Warren, MI) as a middle hitter/blocker. She transferred to NCAA Division 1 Oakland University (Rochester, MI) to finish her playing career. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in French and completed her Master's Degree in Secondary Education. 
 
Westenberg lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, Eric, and their two daughters Charlotte and Salem. 

"I am very excited about the talent returning to the East this season, both in Coaches and players. I can't wait to get started!"

Alice Hughes returns to Metro this season, marking her seventh year as the East regional director, and 10th year with the club.  Hughes joined Metro in 2015, assisted with the 14,15 and 16s travel teams before joining the East. Perviously, she coached the 12 East team to many competitive tournament finishes.  The team earned 3 medals including one for their first place finish at the Columbia 12 Mixed tournament. The East as a whole brought home 7 gold medals and 2 silver.

Prior joining Metro, Hughes was the varsity volleyball coach from 2014-16 for both the boys and girls programs at Archbishop Carroll high school (Washington, DC). In 2014 the Lions debuted their first varsity girls team in over 10 years and the following spring Hughes started a program for the boys. Prior to joining the Lion’s staff Hughes was the head women's volleyball coach at SUNY Maritime College (Bronx, NY) and a member of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships committee.During the 2010-13 seasons Hughes was the assistant volleyball coach at her alma mater SUNY Cortland (Cortland, NY) where she was responsible for development of all volleyball skills, with a strong emphasis on blocking footwork and technique. While at Cortland not only did she help lead the Red Dragons to a NCAA Division III "Elite 8" appearance she also ran the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) where she mentored student athletes to advocate for school wide changes that would enhance the student-athlete experience.  Hughes also had assistant coaching stints at CUNY Hunter College (NY,NY) and SUNY New Paltz (New Paltz, NY), helping the New Paltz Hawks to a NCAA Division III "Elite 8” appearance.

Hughes was a four-year letter-winner and two-year captain of the SUNY Cortland volleyball team from 2004-07.  She graduated ranked sixth in the program's career total blocks and seventh in career solo blocks. She helped guide the Red Dragons to four straight SUNYAC Conference 

Championships and NCAA tournament appearances and the team was ranked as high as 17th nationally during her time with the program. Hughes was named to the SUNYAC All-Conference Team following the 2007 season.

Hughes is a native of Kings Park, N.Y. and currently resides in College Park, M.D. with her Husband and their three daughters.

“I am really excited to begin a new club season with Metro. With every year I coach I am more and more humbled by the privilege it is to impact the lives of so many athletes. We have a few new offerings this year that will make our program that much more competitive. I am eager to start the club season and continue to grow the game of volleyball and develop young athletes.”

Jerry Burge will be the Head Coach for our 18 North and 14 Travel teams. Additionally, is our Metro North Director. This will be his 10th season coaching with Metro and 13th season coaching club volleyball.   Jerry has been with Metro since it was founded in 2015, during that time he has had many successes with his teams.  

Some of his teams’ accomplishments are:

18 North

• 4 players committed to play at the division I level in college.
• 20+ players committed to play at the division II, II, JUCO, and NAIA levels in college.
• First non-travel metro team to qualify for USA Nationals (American Division: 2x)
• Ranked in the top 100 of all 18s teams in the country.
• CHRVA Region runner-up in 2020

14 Travel

• Earned an Open bid to USA Nationals.
• Finished 22nd overall at USA nationals.
• First 14s team in CHRVA history to compete in the finals at an Open USA Qualifier.
• Runner up at Hampton Roads in the 14-16 division.

Jerry comes with many years of coaching experience including former head coach and assistant coach at the junior college, and high school levels. He is also the head coach at Urbana High School, leading them to a state championship. He competed with the Western Maryland College Club Volleyball team as a setter and team captain. He also competed for several years through USAV Chesapeake Region Men’s Volleyball teams as a setter and libero. Jerry is the father of six beautiful young ladies. He graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s University with an MBA in Business Administration and is currently a Clinical Project Manager at Syneos Health Inc.

"I’m proud to represent our Metro family as the South Region Director and 13 South Head Coach, and to be associated with such an outstanding group of coaches. This season affords us the opportunity to grow the legacy that is Metro Volleyball. Let’s go Metro!!!”

Will joined Metro in 2015 as the 13 South PW head coach and South Director.  Will has lead his teams to many medal finishes in the CHRVA region.  Prior to joining Metro, he coached with Metro American Volleyball Club  as a head coach and area director.

 Will has also been the League Coordinator for a youth volleyball program in Delaware, the coach for three women's USAV teams, the Assistant Varsity Coach at McDonough School (1998-1999), the Instructor for Adult and Youth Clinics through Mid-Atlantic Volleyball (1998-2003) and the Assistant JV Coach at Woodbridge High School (2011-2012). He is also a referee with the Quantico Volleyball Officials Association (QVOA).

Will played competitive volleyball while in the US Army, stationed in Germany. He was selected for the "All Star" Military Community Team and traveled throughout Europe playing in joint-force, international tournaments. After the military, he relocated to Dover, Delaware where he continued to play as a USAV adult player in the Chesapeake Region for a variety of clubs at different levels.

Will attended Wilmington University where he completed coursework towards a BS in Business Management and is currently the Director of Operations at Performance & Leadership Development, Ltd. – an executive coaching firm based in DC.