Lily Grant is a senior captain for the 11th ranked women’s program in the country. The sport? Squash. The 2012 Noble & Greenough School graduate recently powered the Williams College squad to a pair of impressive victories over George Washington and Franklin & Marshall. She was dominant in an 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Brooke Feldman in the Ephs’ 7-2 upset of 10th ranked George Washington. The following day, Grant earned a vital point with an 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-5 victory in a 5-4 win over No. 15 Franklin & Marshall, earning Player of the Week honors in the NESCAC. Williams (9-5) carried a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s matches against Yale and Stanford in New Haven. Working on a double major in physiology and art history, the Dedham resident also ran cross-country at Nobles.

Q. How did you get started in squash?

A. It was pretty much a fortunate accident. At Noble & Greenough, we got to choose our winter spot. I played tennis growing up and I decided to take a chance on squash and I fell in love with it.

Q. Did you know much about the sport?

A. Not really. It’s definitely not as much of an accessible sport, although it’s been gaining in popularity recently. I really enjoy it and have dedicated myself to the sport.

Q. Team goal this season?

A. Our goal is always to finish second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference behind Trinity because they are a real powerhouse and hopefully to win the B Division at nationals, which Williams has never done. This year it looks like we have a really good chance.

Q. Tell me something about squash that most people don’t know?

A. I would say it’s underrated as an athletic sport. You have to be in incredibly good shape to play squash at a high level to keep long points going. A lot of it is also about racquet skills. I practice hitting to myself every day before practice because it’s all about consistency and not making unforced errors.

Q. The most important aspect of playing squash?

A. It’s definitely a mental game. You have to be mentally strong in addition to being in good shape. I think that it’s all about remaining mentally strong and being consistent in that capacity.

Q. What would it mean to go out strong as a senior?

A. As a senior captain I’ve been able to take a leadership role on the team and it’s such a great group of girls, so it would be rewarding to finish strong.

Q. Do you know what you’d like to do after you graduate?

A. I am still trying to figure that out. I am interested in working at a fast-moving technology company. Last year I interned at TouchTunes in New York, a digital music company. It was really cool. I’m really interested in music and technology, in addition to athletics.

Q. How was it living in New York?

A. I really enjoyed being in New York. Squash is a sport you can keep playing after graduation, and there are a lot of courts in New York, so I was able to play a lot. I’m not sure if I want to stay local in Boston or not. I’ve been in Massachusetts my whole life so I’m ready to expand my horizons.

JOHN JOHNSON

John Johnson can be reached at jjohnson49@comcast.net.