Indiana Loves (1974–1978)
 |
|
| Sport | Team tennis |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 22, 1973 |
| Folded | November 9, 1978 |
| League | World Team Tennis |
| Division | Eastern |
| Team history |
Detroit Loves 1974 Indiana Loves 1975–1978 |
| Colors |
British Racing Green, Chartreuse Yellow |
| Owner(s) | Larry Noble, William H. Bereman |
| President | William H. Bereman |
| Head coach | Allan Stone |
| Championships | None |
| Division titles | None |
| Playoff berths |
1974 (as Detroit Loves) 1977 (as Indiana Loves) |
| Section titles | 1974 (as Detroit Loves) |
British Racing Green, Chartreuse Yellow
The Indiana Loves were a charter franchise of World Team Tennis (WTT). The team was founded as the Detroit Loves and moved to Indianapolis for the 1975 season. Following the 1978 season, Loves president Larry Noble announced that the team was folding.
The Loves were founded by Seymour Brode and Marshall Greenspan as a charter franchise of WTT in 1973, and played their home matches at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit starting with the league's inaugural season in 1974. The team was led by Rosie Casals, one of the top American female players at the time, and Kerry Harris and Allan Stone, who teamed up to lead WTT in game-winning percentage in mixed doubles. Other players on the inaugural Loves team were Phil Dent, Mary-Ann Beattie and Lenny Simpson. The Loves won the Central Section Championship with a record of 30 wins and 14 losses, edging out the Pittsburgh Triangles in a standings tiebreaker for the section title.
WTT division semifinal and division final playoff series in 1974, were played over two legs, one match on the home court of each team. The team with the best aggregate score over the two matches was the winner. As the higher seed, the Loves had the choice to play either the first or the second match at home. The Loves met the Triangles in the Eastern Division Semifinals and lost both matches, 31–10 at home and 32–17 in Pittsburgh.
Following the season, Brode and Greenspan put the team up for sale, and a new ownership group led by William H. Bereman and Dan Domont bought the Loves on November 18, 1974, and moved them to Indianapolis changing the team's name to the Indiana Loves.
The Loves moved into the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis for the 1975 season. Led by coach Allan Stone who was a key member of their previous season's section championship team, the Loves struggled to a record of 18 wins and 26 losses, fourth place in the Eastern Division and missed the playoffs.
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