A pair of senior volleyball athletes have reconsidered their original verbal commitment and traded it for a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Six-foot-three twins Bria and Cimone Woodard, once promised to Texas A&M, now have their sights set on Howard University in Washington, D.C. and will become fifth-generation HBCU graduates.

Cimone, an MB, said that, although they would play volleyball in college, they had to take the sport out of the equation for this decision because playing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), in one of the “Power 5” conferences, was “really glamorous.” Bria, an OH, acknowledged that you can’t have both. You can’t attend an HBCU and play for a program in the Power 5.

“We had to recognize that and decide what we wanted more,” said Bria. “At first when we went through the recruiting process, we wanted a big conference and a big school. We had to take a step back and see that we can still play at a great school [at Howard] and make more of a decision that is culturally-based. At Howard, we get the best of both worlds - excellent academics and athletics.”