VMI Pistol Club Claims Opening Victory Over Liberty University in League Debut

The VMI Pistol Club is participating in a new virtual air pistol league this semester as a supplement to the in-person collegiate matches we are participating in for the Collegiate Pistol National Championship. The team will travel to the United States Naval Academy (USNA) for the qualifier match of the National Championship, which will be held 25-28 March in Missouri. The virtual pistol league will give us the chance to compete weekly against other teams (both collegiate and local clubs) and, hopefully, provide much-needed match experience ... even if we're shooting by ourselves at our home range. The 2026 season of the National Air Pistol League began with VMI Pistol Club edging Liberty University, 2055-20 to 2028-17, in a matchup that highlighted new teams making their debut in this national league. Now in Week 1, each squad was randomly paired as the regular season kicks off, marking the first league appearance for both collegiate clubs within a 10-week format that mirrors elite international air pistol competitions. VMI Pistol Club, led by coach Dale Hybl and representing Lexington, Va., notched its inaugural win to start the year 1-0 in the Collegiate Team conference. Katelin Patrick set the pace for VMI with a score of 547-7, while strong performances from Michael Schreiber, Chase Boucher, and Varick Nitzsche contributed to the team total. The victory places VMI on a one-match winning streak as they prepare to meet the NoVA Sharpshooters next. Liberty University, under the direction of coach William Crawford and based in Lynchburg, Va., opened its first National Air Pistol League season with a hard-fought loss. The team, also part of the Collegiate Team conference, moves to 0-1 and aims to regroup next week as they face Seaford NJROTC, which likewise seeks its first win. Both VMI Pistol Club and Liberty University now turn their attention to their upcoming challenges, with each squad pursuing its first campaign in the National Air Pistol League's rigorous regular season. Teams compete weekly in eight matches, and only the strongest leave their mark as the season unfolds. Please help The Cadet remain the independent voice of the Corps and aluni/ae by supporting us at http://www.thecadetfoundation.org