Ellen Ryan's dominant performance in the recently-concluded Trans Tasman series has secured her a spot in Bowls Australia's World Championships team.
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"I was pretty happy with my performance there, I still wasn't too confident of selection on the Monday straight after, but I was home with mum and dad waiting to get the text at 10am," Ryan said.
"It was pretty exciting when I read my name along with four other girls."
Ryan was named alongside Kelsey Cottrell, Lynsey Clarke, Natasha Scott, and Rebecca Van Asch in Australia's women's team.
It was the same team which whitewashed New Zealand from February 4 to 6, and the Goulburn local was the lead for Australia's triples and fours teams in three tests.
After a slow start in the first, Ryan found her stride in the second and third.
Australia's triples and fours teams lost all three of their matches in the first test at Broadbeach in Queensland, but they rebounded to win two from three in the second, and swept the third.
"It's just the way it goes, we won three tests to nil. It was a pretty good tussle the whole way, but we got over the line every test, that's the main thing," Ryan said.
"My first couple of games I felt pretty nervous being the first time in the five. I was still happy with my performance. but the New Zealand skipper got them out of trouble the whole three days, but eventually we got on top of them.
"That was sort of my real first time in the five a side team ,so it was good to get that experience against one of the best countries."
This experience will be crucial for Ryan, who expects New Zealand to be out for revenge during the World Championships later this year.
"New Zealand and us, Malaysia, they're the best competition in the world, so to come off and beat them is a pretty good feeling and confidence boost," she said.
"But we know they'll be out to get us when it comes time."
Between now and May, when the World Championship gets underway, Ryan and her teammates have constant fixtures together, during which time she expects the team to become close-knit.
"I already know the girls personally but [it will be an opportunity] to learn how they play on the green, so we'll be a pretty close little family in the next couple of months," she said.
"We've got tests against Malaysia in March over three days.
"[After that] we've got a tournament in NSW ... we'll be competing against men in that one.
"Then we head up to the Gold Coast for five days. There'll be a bit of bonding there and we'll spend some time with some of the local clubs."
With the World Championships scheduled to get underway on May 26, the Australian team will arrive on the 20th to settle in.
Currently, Ryan is excited to have been named in the team. But she expects her arrival in the Gold Coast to coincide with pre-tournament nerves.
"It'll probably take me a couple of games to get rid of those nerves, but I think they're a good thing anyway because that shows it means something," Ryan said.
"I'll have my family up there and my partner [for support].
"[The Gold Coast is] kind of like a second home at the minute, ever since the Commonwealth Games were up there and I was in the running for that."
There was a sting, Ryan said, after she was overlooked for the Commonwealth Games team, but selection for the World Championships was always her ultimate goal.
"It's been hard to stay resilient and keep pushing on [after the Commonwealth Games]," she said.
"It doesn't seem to matter anymore, this has always been my main goal to be selected, and hopefully we'll get a couple of medals and do Australia proud."
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