The Penn State men's tennis teams 2007 recruiting class was announced yesterday as the 14th best in the nation by tennisrecruiting. net.

Penn State received three commitments from Benji Kendall of Bryn Mawr, Pa., Jake Toole of Sharon, Mass., and Jamie Cox of Acworth, Ga. All three have five-star rankings from tennisrecruiting.net.

Head coach Todd Doebler said that the ranking is an indication of a rising program, and the group is one of the better recruiting classes in Nittany Lions history.

"It's really exciting. We should continue getting guys like that, the program is up on the rise in national scene," sophomore Brendan Lynch said. "Guys will be seniors in high school next year will see that top players are going to Penn State."

Baylor, the NCAA team championship in 2004, is ranked No. 12. Notre Dame, where Doebler was an assistant coach from 2002-2006, is in possession of the No. 9 ranking.

"It's going to really help the program down the road. It's going to raise the level in practice," he said.

Kendall, from Harriton High School and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, according to tennisrecruiting.net, is also the No. 40 player nationally and the No. 3 player in the Mid-Atlantic region. He won the PIAA Double-A state title in doubles as a freshman in 2004 and won the Double-A title in singles in both 2005 and 2006. Doebler said that Kendall is strong from the baseline and strong off ground strokes.

Toole is the No. 53 prep player in the country as well as being the No. 3 player in Massachusetts and the No. 4 player in the New England region. In 2005, Toole was named to the Boston Globe's All-Scholastic tennis team as a sophomore. According to Doebler, Toole plays a variety of styles, adding that he likes to come to the net.

Cox is ranked No. 3 in Georgia and No. 60 nationally. The 6-foot-3-inch lefty who, Doebler said, hits the ball hard.

"It's important any time you can sign a good recruiting class," Doebler said.

The Penn State coach said that they are looking at one more player before finalizing the recruiting class.