Bulgaria's improbable Olympic run has led to the men's volleyball semifinals, a feat achieved in front of an A-list guest — President Rosen Plevneliev.

After Bulgaria thrashed Germany in straight sets on Wednesday, players followed up their chest-thumping celebrations with an unorthodox pileup on the court.

"We dreamed and worked hard," Plevneliev said. "Bulgaria is very happy about this result."

The team arrived at the London Games in disarray. The day after Bulgaria qualified for the games, coach Radostin Stoychev and standout player Metey Kaziyski resigned because of internal bickering with the national federation.

Now eyeing its first volleyball medal since 1980, Bulgaria plays Russia in the semifinals on Friday.

— Paul Logothetis — Twitter http://twitter.com/PaulLogoAP

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