Mia Lavis makes Australian 17/U squad after shining at National Netball Championships

The 17-year-old, from Howlong, not only matched it with the best young players in Australia but was a standout performer with her displays at goal-attack.

Lavis, who plays her club netball for Wodonga Raiders, rose to the biggest challenge of her career and has been rewarded with a place in the 36-strong squad which will convene for Netball Australia training camps later this year.

Shooting at 90 percent accuracy against Queensland in round two of the championships, Lavis upped that to 95 percent against NSW and shot half of Victoria's goals including the dramatic last which earned her side a 40-40 draw.

Lavis continued her strong form under the post against the ACT and was shooting at 100 percent by the time the group stage ended with victory over Tasmania.

Clearly the player for the big occasion, Lavis shouldered the bulk of the shooting load in the semi-final against NSW, delivering well-timed leads and positioning for her feeders in another outstanding performance.

Victoria may have lost 51-38, finishing in fourth pace, but the Ovens and Murray representative had already caught the eye of state coach Tracey Brereton.

"Mia impressed us right from the start," Brereton said.

"She impressed us at trials, throughout the preparation phase and her form carried on to Darwin.

"She was one of our main goalers and really was a key player for us.

"Mia's crafty, creative, no fuss, she just gets the job done and that's what I love most about her.

"She doesn't play in the big smoke, she's out doing her job in the footy-netball league and there's extra pressure on country people who haven't experienced that week-in, week-out.

"So for her to go away and stand up underneath that high-level netball, she's had a fantastic week away."

Lavis relished the opportunity to prove herself on the big stage.

"It was awesome to be able to verse the best in Australia and know what level you need to be at to be the best," she said.

"To represent Victoria, a really good team with some great girls, it was so much fun and our team dynamic made the experience even that much better.

"It was physically challenging and I came away with a few bruises but playing against really good opposition pushes you to be better and I think this week has brought out some of my best netball.

"When I'm enjoying playing netball, that's when I play my best.

"That's the level I aspire to be at every week, playing at Raiders, that's what I want to bring now that I know how tough and hard all of those girls go every single game."

Lavis started to walk taller as the tournament unfolded.

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"I was nervous heading into it because I wasn't sure what to expect but throughout the week, I definitely gained a lot of confidence knowing I can match it with all the other girls around Australia," Lavis said.

"The first couple of games, I was a bit hesitant but towards the end I was like 'I'm just going to turn and shoot' because I knew I wasn't getting any closer to the post.

"Once you get the taste for it, it's like 'wow', that's what you want to be playing at every week.

"It's inspired me to work even harder to keep getting better."

Lavis' family, including all four of her grandparents, were courtside in Darwin.

"I can't tell you how proud we all were," mum Amanda said.

"To see her play at her absolute best, you could tell she was enjoying every minute.

"The whole family loves watching Mia play, she's so passionate about it and that comes out in her netball.

"She seems to be able to push herself when she's against those better players and it was pretty awesome to watch."

Lavis plays for the O and M in a rep carnival on Sunday before taking the court for Raiders on Anzac Day.

"Getting consistent time in A-grade is the next step because she's only going to become a better netballer getting used to playing against those bigger bodies week in, week out," Brereton said.

"The best thing that could have happened is Mia's gone away to a tournament like that and performed at a high level so now she's got a taste of it.

"Mia's got a great future across that goal-attack position but not only there, into wing-attack as well."

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