Bulgaria reaches World Championship finals for first time in 55 years

Bulgaria has advanced to the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship finals for the first time in 55 years, securing at least a silver medal.

They defeated the Czech Republic in the semifinals with set scores of 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22.

Aleksandar Nikolov led Bulgaria with a match-best 31 points, and his brother Simeon Nikolov provided 43 excellent sets and nine points.

Their parents surprised them by attending the match, with Aleksandar stating it was the most important and best game of his life.

Their father, Vladimir Nikolov, a former national team player, won a bronze medal in 2006 and sees the team as underdogs against the favored Italian squad.

Bulgaria will face Italy, the world No. 2 team, for the gold medal on Sunday, with Italy reaching the finals after defeating the world No. 1 Polish team.