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University of Massachusets Athletics
Rioux Inducted to Hall of Fame
 |  Allyson Rioux is one of the newest inductees in the UMass Hall of Fame. |
Aug. 20, 2002
Amid the newest inductees to the UMass Hall of Fame is a story of a remarkable human being. It's the story of rare athletic talent, an unwavering human spirit and the life of a rising star that ended at the age of 27 with a devastating illness. It's the story of Allyson Rioux.
Rioux is best known by the UMass community for her sensational career on the softball diamond, but the story of her greatness stretches much further than the confines of intercollegiate athletics. Throughout her life, Rioux played many roles and touched many hearts. She was a friend, a daughter, a sister, a godmother, a softball pioneer and a rising star. Sadly, she was also a cancer patient. Through that she was an inspiration to so many. This is her story.
Rioux had always been a natural athlete and passionate about the games she played. A Stamford, Conn., native, she attended Westhill High School from 1976-79, and quickly became a three-sport standout, earning All-City, All-County and All-State honors in basketball, field hockey and softball. Her exceptional athleticism earned her the reputation as one of the best female athletes to ever come out of Connecticut. Life-long friend and high school teammate Nancy Souza recalled Rioux as the consummate athlete, an intrinsic leader and a friend.
"She was best known at Westhill for her captivating, God-given talent in the three sports she played," Souza said. "But more importantly, it was her ever-present modesty, her outstanding leadership qualities, her consideration for teammates and her love for sport that set her apart from everyone else long after she left Westhill."
Following high school graduation, Rioux narrowed her athletic focus to softball in college, despite the talent to play field hockey as well. Rioux played one season for the University of Rhode Island where she hit .350 as a freshman before transferring to Massachusetts in 1981. Throughout her UMass career, Rioux established herself as one of the sports' top players as a two-time All-New England shortstop and a second team All-America selection.
As team captain during her senior campaign, Rioux led the Minutewomen with a .372 batting average, 45 hits, 24 runs, 30 RBIs, six doubles and three home runs. Many of her accomplishments remain on the UMass all-time charts, including career slugging percentage (eighth, .452), career on-base percentage (sixth, .410), career walks (eighth, 51) and season walks (10th, 22).
UMass softball coach Elaine Sortino recalled Rioux as a phenomenal athlete but an even more exceptional person.
"Ally brought poise and an air of confidence to the field," Sortino said. "She was an incredible competitor but she was also warm and engaging. She had a heart as big as a softball field and everyone that knew her loved her. She was simply a great human being."
Former UMass teammate Carol Frattaroli remembered Rioux's uncanny ability to inspire and motivate her teammates with her deep love of the game.
"Ally was the heart and soul of UMass softball," Frattaroli said. "Seeing her passion for the game made us want to become better players ourselves. She inspired us without having to say a word. It was the way she carried herself, her mere presence on the field."
Rioux's ability to gain the admiration and respect of her teammates and coaches carried over to her opponents, too. Souza remembered playing against her in 1984 when Rutgers hosted the Minutewomen in the conference championship.
"It was an intense game with everything on the line," Souza said. "Ally hit a pitch down the third-base line that I was lucky to field and I threw her out. She turned to me and yelled, 'Nice play, Nancy'. Those are the kinds of things she did that set her apart from the rest and made her spectacular."
During the summer, Rioux polished her softball skills as a member of Stamford's prestigious Raybestos Brakettes softball team. With the Brakettes, Rioux showed her versatility by switching sides of the infield from shortstop to second base. Teamed with two-time Olympic gold medalist Dot Richardson at shortstop, the pair became one of the best middle-infield combinations in the sport's history.
"Ally and Dot were an unbelievable pair," said Sortino. "As middle infielders they could turn two quicker than anyone else around."
With the Brakettes, Rioux participated in 10 American Softball Association (ASA) Championships, winning it five times. In 1981, Rioux made her first appearance in the World Games in Santa Clara, Calif., and earned her first ASA All-American award.
In 1983, Rioux was selected to the United States Pan-American team, which captured the silver medal. Rioux won the batting title, hitting .549 in the tournament. Her dominance in the sport continued through the mid 80's when Rioux was named MVP of the 1985 ASA National Championship Tournament and received the Erv Lind Award as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the championship game. In 1986, Rioux made her second appearance in the World Games in Auckland, New Zealand, and was selected to the All-Tournament and All-World teams.
At the top of her game in early 1987, Rioux began to experience blurred vision that was misdiagnosed as a scratched cornea. Later, it was determined that the vision distortion was symptomatic of an inoperable tumor growing in her brain. True to her personality, Rioux attacked her disease with the same energy and enthusiasm that she brought to the field. She began treatment with a round of radiation to shrink the tumor.
"Throughout her illness she had a phenomenal attitude," said Souza. "She never gave up and used her spirit to get her through the rough times. She always had the ability to rally in life and she used that ability to get back to health and the game that she loved." After radiation treatment, Rioux spent nine months regaining her strength to return for the 1988 Brakettes season. She came back with a vengeance and capped off the season with her sixth ASA All-American honor.
In December of that year, the cancer returned and on Feb. 9, 1989, Rioux died in her home. Appropriately, she was buried in the Brakette uniform she proudly wore for 10 years.
Since Rioux's death, her impact on softball and the Stamford community can still be felt. The Brakettes and Westhill High School retired her jersey numbers, while WHS renamed its softball field in her honor. The annual Allyson Rioux Memorial Award was created in the Stamford School District, bestowing a scholarship to a graduating female athlete who embodies Rioux's ideals and athletic ambitions. The award has been bestowed upon 17 girls in 13 years of existence, including current Minutewoman softball player Emily Robustelli. The annual Allyson Rioux Memorial Golf Tournament was also created to support Stamford individuals and families in need. The tournament has raised over $200,000 since its inception.
"Many people have been assisted financially in her memory," said Souza who named her daughter after Rioux. "That's the kind of honor she would have wanted."
Although Rioux's life was cut short, her contributions to softball live on. Through her success and sacrifices, she helped open doors for young women to become collegiate and Olympic athletes. Richardson echoed that sentiment in her book Living the Dream and devoted an entire chapter to Rioux, simply entitled "Allyson."
"Allyson Rioux left me with a lesson... she lived life to the fullest, constantly placing others' needs ahead of her own. When I stood on the Olympic gold medal podium, I thought about Ally and the role she'd played in guiding our sport to this finest of moments. I know she was there with us, and I know she was proud."
Rioux will be there in spirit in January too, when the UMass Hall of Fame inducts a friend, a daughter, a sister, a godmother, a softball pioneer, a rising star and an inspiration to so many.