Michael Poehls is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism assigned to cover Gilbert High School for AZPreps365.com

MESA -- The Gilbert Tigers beach volleyball team defeated the host Eastmark Firebirds 4-1 on Oct. 21 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds after a nearly hour long lightning delay. 

Outside of the ones and twos matchups, it was a dominant showing for the Tigers. Each game was won in a sweep, 2-0.  The fives for Gilbert, Royce Hatch and Wyatt Packer, got the ball rolling by winning both sets in a dominant fashion, 21-8 and 21-15. The fours and threes matches were no different, with Josh Tav and Josh Jones taking it home in two and Logan Judd and Lucas Watson securing the overall win for the Tigers. 

Although the Tigers treated this match like a routine outing, it was anything but that. 

The matches initially began at 4 p.m., and the players were playing fast, but after 30 minutes, lightning slowed things down. 

The Arizona Athletic Grounds security staff informed the teams that they would have to make their way inside the fieldhouses and wait out the delay. 

During the nearly hour-long delay, the players played indoor volleyball to keep themselves busy, but for two players it was getting more reps with each other due to a late-season pair change. 

Freshman Kamden Thompson and sophomore Lincoln Hawkins played with each other for the first time as a pair during the Mesa Beach Bash on Oct. 16 and 17, meaning Wednesday's matchup was the first time they were playing with each other outside of the invitational. 

Since the pair had limited playing time together they were asked how they developed chemistry. 

“It's kind of joking around, but staying locked in at the same time,” Hawkins said. “Knowing when to be serious and when to not.” 

The change has translated to a winning record for the Tigers, having a 3-2 record since the change.

According to Tigers coach Kilie Farnsworth, they've been developing chemistry all along.

“We've trained as a team and we've been a team,” Farnsworth said. “It's not really about the pairs, it's about a team.”

Farnsworth said this gave her the ability to trust her players when she made the switch so late in the season. 

For Hawkins and Thompson in Wednesday's match, the change seemed to work out. Their three-set game was not the prettiest, but they showed their resilience throughout it. 

Initially, they started slowly, falling behind by as many as five points, but the two were able to continually claw back. They ended the first set with a 3-0 run to secure the victory, 21-18.

The second set was much of the same, a continual back-and-forth battle, with both earning many kills and assists, and Thompson racking up three aces. In the end, the Eastmark pair of Braxton Petersen and Spencer Box won the set, 24-22. 

In the third set, Thompson and Hawkins started off fast, built a six-point lead and won the set 15-9. 

By the time Thompson and Hawkins were finishing up their last set, the ones match had just begun. 

The duo of Preston Richards and Xander Wilson were in position to help their team finish the night 5-0.

In the match, Wilson and Richards did everything in their power to pull it off. In the match, Richards had seven aces and 11 kills, while Wilson had 10 assists and six kills.

They fought for it but eventually fell in the third set, losing 6-15.

Farnsworth felt great about her team's performance.

“This is the best we've looked,” she said. 

In her first season as coach, Farnsworth said she has seen a lot of progress from her players, and she's excited to see how they will develop further. 

The Tigers (6-6) will next play at Desert Ridge (7-1) on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. 

The Firebirds (2-8) will next host Mesquite (0-8) on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.