View source for Ding Xia

{{Short description|Chinese volleyball player (born 1990)}}
{{Infobox volleyball player
| name           = Ding Xia
| nickname       = Opposite Spiker Ding (丁接应)
| image          = Xia Ding China team for Volleyball (cropped).jpg
| imagesize      =
| caption        = in team China
| nationality    = Chinese
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1990|1|13|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Hebei]], [[China]]
| hometown       = Hebei, China
| height         = {{height|m=1.80}}
| weight         = {{convert|67|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| spike          = {{convert|305|cm|abbr=on}}
| block          = {{convert|300|cm|abbr=on}}
| position       = Setter
| currentnumber  = 16 (national team), 8 (club)
| currentclub    = [[Liaoning Brilliance Auto|Liaoning]]
| years          = 2009–present
| clubs          = [[Liaoning Brilliance Auto|Liaoning]]
| nationalyears  = 2009<br>2014–present
| nationalteam   = {{vbw|China}}
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | [[Volleyball]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold|[[Volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2016 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's team rosters#China|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|2018 Japan]]|[[2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship squads#China|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|FIVB World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|2019 Japan]] |Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2015 FIVB Women's World Cup|2015 Japan]] |[[2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup squads#.C2.A0China|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB World Grand Champions Cup|World Grand Champions Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup|2017 Japan]]|[[2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup squads#.C2.A0China|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League|Volleyball Nations League]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League|2018 Nanjing]]|[[2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League squads#China|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2018 Asian Games|2018 Jakarta-Palembang]]|[[Volleyball at the 2018 Asian Games – Women|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2022 Asian Games|2022 Hangzhou]]|[[Volleyball at the 2022 Asian Games – Women|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2014 Asian Games|2014 Incheon]]|[[Volleyball at the 2014 Asian Games – Women|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Women's Volleyball Championship|Asian Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2015 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship|2015 Tianjin]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[AVC Cup for Women|AVC Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2014 Asian Women's Cup Volleyball Championship|2014 Shenzhen]] |Team}}
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Ding (surname)|Ding]]|lang=Chinese}}
'''Ding Xia''' ({{zh|c=丁霞|p=Dīng Xiá}}, born 13 January 1990) is a Chinese [[volleyball]] player. She is the substitute setter of the [[China women's national volleyball team]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sports.sohu.com/20140930/n404797682.shtml|script-title=zh:现场：徐建德怒斥丁霞含泪 小将拦网忘情砸地板-搜狐体育|date=30 September 2014|work=[[Sohu]]|language=Chinese|accessdate=5 October 2014}}</ref> and has been representing the team in international competitions since 2014. At the club level, she plays for the [[Liaoning Brilliance Auto|Liaoning]] provincial team, which she has captained since 2013. She is known for her agility and versality on court, often utilising her strength as a left-handed setter to execute surprise spikes on second touch or from the right side of the court, thus earning her the nickname "Opposite Spiker Ding".

==Personal life==
Ding Xia was born on 13 January 1990 in [[Shijiazhuang|Shijiazhuang City]], [[Hebei]], [[China]]. Her father and grandparents are all employees of Shijiazhuang Car Factory. She started playing volleyball when she was ten years old in Shijiazhuang City Sports School. At the age of 17, she was selected by coaches from [[Liaoning women's volleyball team]] and left her hometown to train in the team.

==Career==
In 2009, Ding was selected to join the China women's national volleyball under-20 team. In the same year, she participated in the 15th [[2009 FIVB Volleyball Women's U20 World Championship|FIVB U20 World Championships]] held in [[Tijuana]] and [[Mexicali]], [[Mexico]] from July 16 to 25, 2009.

In 2013, Ding entered the [[China women's national volleyball team]] roster for the first time, but was not required to attend trainings. In the same year, she led the [[Liaoning women's volleyball team|Liaoning]] Team to a silver in the 2013 [[National Games of China]].

In 2014, she was again included in the senior National Team roster and trained with the squad.  In June 2014, she participated in the [[2014 Montreux Volley Masters]] held in Switzerland yearly. In September, she participated in the [[2014 Asian Games|2014 Incheon Asian Games]] as part of the National B team. However, the team lost to [[South Korea women's national volleyball team|South Korea]] 0-3 in the finals of the tournament and won a silver medal. As her performance at the tournaments lacked consistency, she was asked to leave the National Team temporarily.

In 2015, she returned to the National Team and stayed on throughout the summer, earning herself an opportunity to represent the team at the [[2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|2015 FIVB World Cup.]] She put up a stellar performance during the tournament. As a substitute, she was often called upon when the team encountered difficult situations and needed a change in rhythm and did so successfully, helping the team achieve gold in the tournament.

Ding Xia's performance in the World Cup earned her a spot in the [[2016 Summer Olympics|Rio Olympics]] squad the following year where, along with veteran setter [[Wei Qiuyue]], she represented team China in her first Olympic Games.

Together with teammates, Ding Xia put up a phenomenal performance in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. After a disappointing performance in the preliminary rounds, the team achieved a surprising turnaround, beating gold medal favourite and host Brazil in the quarter-finals, much to the shock of 20,000 spectators. The team then narrowly beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the semi-finals and Serbia in the finals to win their third Olympic gold medal in history.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Boadle|first=Anthony|date=2016-08-21|title=Volleyball: Chinese women win gold in clash with Serbia|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-volleyball-w-idUSKCN10V0OG|access-date=2021-02-14}}</ref>

After the Rio Olympics, fellow setter and veteran [[Wei Qiuyue]] retired due to knee injury and Ding Xia became the main setter of the National Team. In 2017, Ding Xia participated in the [[2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Grand Champions Cup|World Grand Champions Cup]], successfully helping her team win the championship title, beating rivals USA, Brazil and Russia along the way.<ref>{{Cite web|title=China beats Japan 3-1 to claim title at 2017 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup - Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-09/10/c_136598844.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401080208/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/10/c_136598844.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 1, 2018|access-date=2021-02-14|website=www.xinhuanet.com}}</ref>

In September 2018, Ding Xia participated in her second [[2018 Asian Games|Asian Games]], held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite the absence of key player [[Zhang Changning]], Team China displayed their absolute dominance in [[Asia]] at the tournament, winning eight consecutive matches with 3-0 scores to achieve gold. Their opponents included [[South Korea women's national volleyball team|South Korea]], [[Japan women's national volleyball team|Japan]], [[Thailand women's national volleyball team|Thailand]] and the [[Philippines women's national volleyball team|Philippines]]. Later that month, Ding Xia flew with her team to Japan to participate in the [[2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|FIVB World Championships]]. After 4 consecutive wins, China lost to Italy 1-3 in the first round of the pool stage. In the second round, China beat their main rival USA, securing a spot in the Final Six one round in advance. In the Final Six, China secured victories against the USA and Netherlands. However, the team lost to Italy again in the semi-finals after a grueling five set match, before winning the Netherlands in the bronze medal match, managing to secure a spot on the podium.

The following year, Ding Xia represented China in the [[2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League|2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League]]. In the preliminary rounds, the main Chinese team faced-off rival team Italy at the [[Hong Kong Coliseum]]. In front of a rambunctious home crowd, team China lost 0-2 to Italy, before winning three consecutive sets to secure a 3-2 victory. In August, Ding Xia participated in the [[2019 FIVB Women's Volleyball Intercontinental Olympic Qualification Tournament|2019 FIVB Intercontinental Olympic Qualification Tournament]]. In front of a home crowd in [[Jiangmen]], China, the national team beat European opponents [[Czech Republic women's national volleyball team|Czech Republic]], [[Germany women's national volleyball team|Germany]] and [[Turkey women's national volleyball team|Turkey]] to win a ticket to the [[2020 Summer Olympics|2020 Tokyo Olympics]]. In September 2019, Ding Xia took part in the [[2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|2019 FIVB Women's World Cup]] held in Japan. With the absence of rivals Italy and key players from Serbia, the team powered to a gold medal finish with 11 consecutive wins, dropping only 3 sets along the way, beating opponents such as USA, Brazil and Japan. Ding Xia was only awarded the Best Setter of the tournament.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/junior/women/2009/Players.asp?Tourn=WJ2009&Team=CHN&No=124130 Juniors profile]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box |
  | before = {{flagicon|THA}} [[Nootsara Tomkom]]
  | after = -
  | title = Best Setter of <br>[[FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|FIVB World Grand Prix]]
  | years = [[2017 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix|2017]]
|}}
{{succession box |
  | before = {{flagicon|DOM}} [[Niverka Marte]]
  | after = Incumbent
  | title = Best Setter of <br>[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|FIVB World Cup]]
  | years = [[2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|2019]]
|}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes colour
|title= China squads
| bg        = #db000d
| fg        = #fbea0e
|bordercolor= 
|list1=
{{China squad 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{China women's volleyball squad 2016 Summer Olympics}}
{{China Squad 2018 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{China squad 2019 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ding, Xia}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1990 births]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Shijiazhuang]]
[[Category:Volleyball players from Hebei]]
[[Category:Chinese women's volleyball players]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for China in volleyball]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2018 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for China]]
[[Category:Setters (volleyball)]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:21st-century Chinese sportswomen]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]