Alyssa Rivera, a former softball student-athlete at Auburn University and current professional and international athlete, joined the USI Softball staff in August 2024. Rivera primarily assists with hitting and outfield defense for the Screaming Eagles.
In Rivera's first season with USI in 2025, Rivera helped coach USI to a second consecutive fourth-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference and a third consecutive berth into the OVC tournament.
Before arriving at USI, Rivera coached three seasons at Hampton University. While at Hampton, Rivera assisted with outfield training, baserunning, and hitting. Rivera also oversaw all team operations including travel and budgeting.
Rivera's professional playing career features experience with the Texas Smoke of Women's Professional Fastpitch, winning the first-ever WPF championship in 2023, and with Cidra Bravas in Puerto Rico from 2019 to the present day. 2022 Cidra Bravas was crowned the 2022 Liga de Softball Superior Nacional Femenino champions.
Rivera also has national team playing experience, starting in 2017 as a Gold Medalist at the World Championship with the USA Junior Women's National Team. Rivera has also played for the Puerto Rico Women's National Team since 2019. She is a 2019 Bronze Medalist (Pan American Games), a 2023 Silver Medalist (Pan American Games), and a 2023 Gold Medalist (Central American Games) with the Puerto Rico National Team. Rivera was named to WBSC America's All-Pan Am Team at the Pan American Games in the fall of 2023.
Rivera played for Auburn University from 2016-2021. While at Auburn, she became one of the most decorated hitters in program history. She is one of just six student-athletes in program history to record at least 200 career hits, 120 RBI, and 110 runs scored. She was tabbed by Softball America as one of the Top 100 Players of 2020, while also appearing in Softball America's 2020 Power Rankings at no. 2 and no. 10, respectively. Rivera ranks top 10 in Auburn's record books in eight different categories, including stolen bases (t-3rd), stolen base percentage (t-7th), multi-RBI games (8th), games played (t-8th), RBI (9th), total bases (9th), multi-hit games (t-9th), and hits (10th).
Academically, Rivera made Auburn University's Dean's List, All-SEC Academic Team, SEC Academic Honor Roll, and was named an NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete.
Upon graduation, Rivera became a lead instructor for ProSwings, where she gave private hitting and defensive lessons. She also assisted with ProSwings college exposure camps and tournaments.
Rivera received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management while pursuing a minor in Entrepreneurship and Family Business in May of 2020 from Auburn University. Given her extra year of eligibility due to COVID, she received her second Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing in May of 2021.
