The 2008-09 season was a turning point in Gerboldt's career. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 Russian Championships and, as both the gold and silver medalists Adelina Sotnikova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva were too young to participate in international competition, was named to the European Championships team. She placed sixth, skating with a drainage in her nose due to sinusitis. She was coached by Tatiana Mishina and Alexei Mishin in Saint Petersburg until 2009 when she moved to CSKA Moscow and began working with Svetlana Sokolovskaya.